Peeta Saved, Katniss Captured
by wolflover43
Summary: "No! Please! You can't be dead!" I cry out even though nobody can hear me. I fall to my knees and put my head into my hands. I broke the vow I made myself and the promise I made Gale. I said that I would keep her safe, that I would protect her. I failed her, Gale, her family, Haymitch. Worst of all I failed myself. Role Reversal: Katniss Captured, Peeta saved. Rated T for safety
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games. All rights belong to Suzanne Collins**

Peeta P.O.V

"Katniss!" I call, hoping to hear the sound of her voice. She has to be alive, without her I won't have a life or a world. "Katniss!" I call in desperation. "Peeta!" She shouts. My eyes widen and I run toward the sound of her voice. "I'm here Peeta!" She continues to shout. She's trying to draw all the attention to herself.

I have to keep the attention on myself. I can't let anyone get to her. "Katniss!" I shout as loud as I can. I wait a few seconds. There is no reply this time. Either she can't hear me or she's de-no I can't think like that. I try and remember where the sound of her voice was coming from. Wherever it was, I run for it. I run as fast as I can, but my leg is slowing me down. I curse under my breath.

All of the sudden, Brutus and Chaff come barreling out from the jungle. Judging by all the wounds they have, they've been fighting for a while now. I watch in horror as Brutus delivers the killing blow. The cannon goes off, signaling that he has died. Chaff was Haymitch's only friend and he just died. And Haymitch had to witness it without being able to do anything about it.

Without thinking I grab my knife and stab Brutus straight through the stomach. He falls to the ground in pain and not even minutes later the cannon goes off. As soon as it does, the realization of what I did hits me like a ton of bricks. I killed someone for revenge, not to survive, but in cold blood. Now Brutus' blood will forever be on my hands.

I shake my head. I can't afford to think like this, not when Katniss is still out there vulnerable. I begin to run again, until I see an arrow being shot at the sky. Katniss. She's still alive and only a two miles away. I begin to run again, but I'm blown back by a powerful force. I'm thrown against a tree. I ignore the pain as best as I can and stand up. I can't run, but somehow I can jog. I jog as fast as I can, but that's hard because whenever I jog too fast I find myself light headed.

Soon, I find Katniss laying on the ground with Beetee just a few feet away from Katniss still body. At first I feel panicked, but relax when I see that she is breathing. Sadly my relief doesn't last long because the claw of a hovercraft drops down and wraps around Katniss' body. _But she's alive! They can't take her since she's alive. _I jog toward Katniss and by now she's already six and a half feet above the ground. Even though I know I won't be able to reach her outstretched hand. "No! Please! You can't be dead!" I cry out even though nobody can hear me. I fall to my knees and put my head into my hands. I broke the vow I made myself and the promise I made Gale. I said that I would keep her safe, that I would protect her. I failed her, Gale, her family, Haymitch. Worst of all I failed myself.

I lie down to the ground and just lay there. For a few minutes there is just silence, but all of the sudden I hear the sound of a hovercraft. I watch as the claw descends and wraps around my body. I don't fight, I lost all will to fight.

As I arrive to the top, I'm put onto the cool metal floor. For a few moments all I see is the metal roof, but all of the sudden, Plutarch comes into my line of sight. He gives me a smile and I feel a sharp pain in the side of my neck. Before I can move my hand to the spot where I was injected, I fall unconscious.

* * *

><p>I snap awake and find myself in a room with bright lights. I look in front of me and see Beetee with machines all around him. Some control his breathing, another monitors his heart rate. I want to ask him where we are, but since he's still asleep I decide against it. Besides it looks like he's not in a healthy state. I push the white covers off of my body and slide of the bed. Judging by all the supplies and beds, I would say I'm in a hospital. The only strange thing is, is that this doesn't look like a Capitol hospital. It's not advanced enough. Hoping to find some answers I open the door and walk the dimly lit corridors, until I arrive at a door with voices coming from it.<p>

"No. If we send you to four, we risk revealing ourselves. Sorry Finnick, it's just too dangerous." Plutarch says. I expected Plutarch, but why is Finnick here? They can't have three victors. "He's got a point. A message was sent saying Annie was captured." Haymitch agrees.

Haymitch is here too!? What's going on here!? I open the door and all eyes turn to me. I look around the room and see Finnick sitting in a chair with a bowl of broth in front of him, Haymitch is sitting in a chair, sober for once, and Plutarch is standing to the side, smiling at me. "What happened to Katniss? And who is Annie and what did you mean by 'captured'? Is there something going on here?" I ask, firing question after question.

"Sit down Lover Boy. Everything will be explained." Haymitch says. I frown at him, but listen to his order. As soon as I sit down, Plutarch places a bowl of broth in front of me. "Eat. You need to rebuild your strength. You lost weight in the arena." I look at the clear broth in front of me. It looks unappetizing, but since I'm so hungry, I eat. It doesn't have much flavor, but it's still delicious.

"So are you aware that there have been uprisings in the districts?" Plutarch asks taking a seat in front of me. I nod my head and continue to eat the broth. "Well, it's becoming much more than that. It's becoming a full scale rebellion. District 13 does exist and they have joined the rebellion."

"Whoa wait. Rebellion?" I ask completely shocked. Plutarch nods his head. "Yes Peeta. Ever since the 74th Hunger Games, District 13 has been planning for the rebellion. Sure they have been planning for 75 years, but the stunt with the berries set the whole thing in motion. But then the 75th games came around. We never expected you and Katniss to go back into the games, so we had some help. Only a few of the districts knew about the plan to extract both you and Katniss from the Arena. We knew that if Katniss died, you wouldn't keep your alliance with Finnick. And same for Katniss, that's why the female morphling saved you."

"Where is Katniss then? Is she here?" I ask hopefully. Plutarch looks to the ground, guilt visible in his eyes. "She was captured by the Capitol. Along with Johanna and Enobaria. I'm sorry Peeta." I look to the ground. Katniss, my Katniss, was taken by the Capitol.

I should feel sad, but I only feel angry. I stand up and punch Haymitch. I don't feel regretful, not yet anyway. "This is all your fault! I should've been taken! Not her!" I shout. I tackle Haymitch to the ground. The chair topples over, with me and Haymitch following suit. I stay on top of him, holding his arms and legs down so he can't throw me off. "You promised you would protect her over me!" I growl. Haymitch struggles from under me. I strike him in the jaw, hard. "Lover Boy! You don't think I promised her too? That I didn't tell her that I would protect you?" He shouts. I'm poised to strike again, but his words register. She asked that I be saved over her?

Haymitch takes his chance and pushes me off of him. I'm too shocked to fight back. I slide myself over to the wall and rest my head against the cool metal. I feel another sharp pain in my neck, but this time I know what they did. They're sedating me and I'm not going to fight it because I hope when I wake that this will all be a bad dream.

* * *

><p>I wake up in the same room as before, except Beetee is no longer across from me. "Hey Lover Boy." Haymitch says. I look up at him and see a bruise on his jaw. "Sorry." I apologize. He waves me off. "Whatever. It doesn't matter. I would've reacted the same way."<p>

"It was wrong of me to lash out." I point out. Haymitch rolls his eyes. "Whatever Lover Boy. Do you know where we are?"

"District 12." I reply a little confused at his question. "No Peeta. District 12 was bombed after the force field was blown out. It's gone. District 12 doesn't exist anymore."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games. All rights belong to Suzanne Collins. Every bit of this writing is purely fan-made and no profit is being made from this. **

_My name is Peeta Mellark. I'm seventeen years old. My home is District 12. It was burned to the ground. I was in the Hunger Games twice. I escaped both. The Capitol has the love of my life. There is a rebellion and I'm part of it._

I stand in what used to be my family's bakery. It's hard to believe that in this pile of rubble, food was made. Everything in District 12 is gone, destroyed, exactly like District 13. The only difference is that no one from District 12 is underground. The night the arena blew up, bombs rained down on all of District 12. Only one piece of District 12 lay untouched. It was the Victor's Village just in case any Capitol reporters had to make a news report live from District 12. The place where you can starve to death in safety, as Katniss would say. I laugh bitterly at myself. It's been weeks since she was taken by the Capitol. Weeks since I last saw her. Since I last held her in my arms. Some nights I dream about her. Most of the time, they're nightmares, but other times I get lucky and receive a peaceful dream.

I should be grateful that they let me come down to District 12. The president of District 13, Coin, was very hesitant to send me out here. They were worried it would affect my mental health. As if. I may be physically strong, but on the inside I'm broken and only one person can fix it completely. I sigh to myself and clench my fist. It's then I realize how much I have actually changed since the first games.

"Lover Boy? You okay down there? Want to come back up?" Haymitch's voice brings me out of my thoughts. I look around and realize that I have made it to the Seam, where Katniss' old house is. I didn't even know I got this far away from the town. "No thanks. I'm good." I turn away from the Seam and head toward the Victor's Village. As I walk I see buildings that have been burnt to the ground. Blackened buildings make up the entire Seam.

As I walk memories of Katniss resurface. Her laughing, going into the woods to hunt for her family, trading with my father, the games. The games that stole her away from me. I try to steer my thoughts away from it, but I can't. Whatever I think the thoughts always seem to remind me of something. As I walk, I wonder which of these bones belong to my family. I learned that they never came out of District 12. They were too scared to venture out into the woods, so they waited. Little did they know they waited for their death.

I arrive at the Victor's Village and slowly walk to my house. I open the door and see that everything is the way I left it. I walk inside and head to my art room. One of the few places of peace. I open the door to my quiet room and see the unfinished painting. It's picture of me and Katniss on the train. When she asked me to stay with her for the rest of the night. At the thought of the memory, I feel a sharp pain in my heart. I ignore the pain and grab pencils and a sketch pad. I need to be able to draw, it's one of the few things that relax me.

As I walk out of the room, something catches my eye. I freeze and look at the mysterious object. A single white rose. President Snow was here. I stiffen at the thought of him being here in my house. I take the rose from the table that holds my paints. I jog out of the room and place the small white rose in the fire place. I grab the box of matches that sit on top of the mantle. I light the match and set the rose on fire. For a few minutes I just watch it burn under the orangish red flames. The rose goes from white, to a light brown, to a darker brown, to even darker brown, to pure black. It's dead, exactly what will happen to President Snow if he hurts Katniss in any way, shape or form.

Since my house now reeks of perfume, I walk outside into the cool air. I enter Katniss' house next. Quiet. That's what it is. No noise, just like the rest of District 12. Almost everyone of District 12 have been silenced. I walk around Katniss house, until I find her game bag and father's hunting jacket. I sling the bag over my shoulder and bring the jacket close to my face. It still smells like her. Fresh air and woodsy. I'm scared that if I keep it anywhere, but in my arms, I will lose what little I have of her. All I have is her mockingjay pin that she gave me before heading off with Johanna. But the mockingjay pin isn't hers. It belongs to the rebels now.

I look around her house a little more and find some herbs that her mother could use. I carefully put some of the bottles into the bag. I walk up the stairs that lead to Katniss' room. I don't know what draws me here, maybe it's my heart? Maybe it's my brain saying that she could be in bed, asleep. I stand in the middle of her room, just taking it in. Nothing much catches my eye. She always liked simple, never anything big.

The sun shines into her room and a cool breeze enters from the open window. It seems so wrong for it to be peaceful. I'm about to turn around, when I see a small glint. I walk over to her dresser and find two things. The medallion I gave her and the one gift she accepted. The pearl. President Snow is taunting me. He's showing that Katniss is with him, out of my reach. I scowl and am about to throw them aside, when realization dawns on me. These two things are probably the only things I will ever get. They are the only things that remind me of Katniss.

Slowly, I take the medallion and pearl off of her dresser. I put the pearl in my grey pants pocket and put the medallion around my neck. I grab the picture of her father and put it in the bag, along with everything else I grabbed. As I walk down the stairs a loud meow stops me. Buttercup, Prim's cat, stands on the kitchen table. I smile a little and walk over to him. "Hey buddy. Want to see Prim?" At the sound of his owner's name, his ears perk up. He give a hopeful meow. I smile a little more and pick him up with my free arm. I readjust the hunting jacket so it rests around my neck. It's actually better this way because I can smell Katniss' scent on here.

The entire way back to the hovercraft I keep one hand on my pocket because I'm afraid to let go. If I do, the pearl could also disappear and I would never find it again.

I sit down on the hovercraft that will take us back to District 13. "It seems bad Peeta. I know, but there are survivors." Plutarch says, offering me a smile. I sigh and look to the floor. "I guess." Normally I wouldn't be as short, but since I just saw my home in nothing but bits, I'm a little upset. "Just breathe Peeta. It's upsetting I know, but you'll learn to see the bright side. I promise." I have to resist the urge to say that there is not a bright side without Katniss. I feel that I'm being a little melodramatic now, but I can't help it.

"Smart," Gale says. I look up at him and see that he has his arms crossed and is standing in a dominant position. I can see why he and Katniss were passed as cousins. They could've even been mistaken for siblings. "You grabbed what was important to them. Her hunting jacket?" He asks, nodding toward the jacket that I hold in my hands. He holds his hand out for it. "Can I see it?" I shake my head and bring it closer to me. I'm acting like a three year old, I know. But I don't want to let go of it yet. "She's not just important to you Peeta. She has a family that misses her." He says. I frown, but the realization dawns on me. I've been so selfish. I forgot about her family. I've only been worried about myself.

"I'm sorry Gale." I say looking at him sympathetically. We're in the same boat. He's in love with Katniss and so am I. I think that's what brought us a little closer. Not yet friends, but no longer enemies. More like allies. "Here." I hand it to him, but he shakes his head. "Forget it." He turns back around and takes a seat next to a sober Haymitch. It's strange seeing him like this. Sober.

Nobody says anything for the entire ride, but I don't care. It's comforting. It gives a person time to think and I know what I want to do. I want Katniss and everyone else rescued as soon as possible.

* * *

><p>As soon as we land, I drop off my stuff at my compartment. I head to the Everdeen's and drop off Katniss' hunting jacket and game bag. "Buttercup!" Prim exclaims. She brings him close to her body and hugs him. "Missed you." I smile at both of them and walk out.<p>

I head to the hospital next. "Finnick! How are you doing?" I ask, but it's merely a formality. We both know how the other is feeling. He looks up and me and forces a smile. "How was it?" He asks. My face drops. "Okay I guess. Shocking and horrifying, but overall I think okay because I found some things to keep me going." Finnick nods and turns back to his rope. He's still depressed because of Annie, who I just recently found out that she is the person that Finnick loves.

"I'm going to talk to Coin about the rescue mission." At the sound of rescue mission, Finnick perks up and looks at me hopefully. "Good. Make sure they do it. Get it in writing too." He advises seriously. I nod my head and turn to walk out the door. "Oh and Peeta?" He calls. I turn around to face him. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry about Katniss. I should've saved her too." He looks to the ground and holds his head in shame. I should've seen this. He's guilty and depressed. A bad combination. I force a smile and try to make it look real. "You did the best you could and I understand that. You don't have to worry anyway. I'm going to make sure that they are all rescued real soon." Finnick nods, but doesn't look up. I'm about walk away again, but Finnick stops me. "I never believed that she loved you. I knew you loved her, but I thought it was just an act. When you 'married' her, I thought it was just another act. But when you almost died because of the force field, I saw how much she actually loves you. How much she actually cares for you."

"Okay. See you later Finnick." I say, unsure on how to respond. I walk out of the hospital room and to Command, still thinking of Finnick's words. As soon as I do, everyone that is in there turns to me. I look at what was interesting them so much. It's an interview with Caesar Flickerman and his guest is Katniss.

I didn't expect her to look healthy, she looks even better than when she was in the arena. I imagined her to look hurt. Unless….They covered it with makeup. I slowly shuffle toward the screen. She's good at hiding her emotions, but not from me. I look into her beautiful grey eyes and search for any sign of hurt. "So Katniss," Caesar says slowly. "I didn't expect to see you so soon." Katniss laughs, but I can detect a certain amount of annoyance and sarcasm in her laugh. "Neither did I. I actually never planned to come out." Gale, who I just now noticed, glares at me harshly from across the room.

Katniss was going to let _me _live. If she was going to do that, does that mean she loves me for real? IS what Finnick said true?

"I actually thought you would be the one to come out of the arena alive. I think we all saw Peeta's motives to send you and his child home, but you. I never expected that." Caesar says with a small smile. Katniss shrugs in response. "I guess we loved one another too much to let the other one die." She's still playing the star crossed lovers card. She's continuing it. "I guess you did," Caesar said, his face turning serious. "Were you aware that there were other plans in motion?" Katniss stiffens just the slightest bit. Anyone else wouldn't notice it, but to me it's clear as day. "No. Of course not. I didn't expect any of this." Does she know that she was right? That all her suspicions were true.

"Can you tell us about the last night in the arena? What were your thoughts when you shot the arrow at the sky?"

"Um," Katniss begins. I can't help, but laugh. She's never been good with words. "Well it's hard to explain. I guess you could say the overall arena was a death trap. It's always been for everyone in the games. This time the arena was a clock. You could almost hear the ticking of the clock. In just two days so many victors died. The last night? It was all kind of a blur of chaos after the arena was blown up." She says after a few more minutes of stumbling. I know what Katniss is saying, but judging by everyone else's faces, they're a little confused. "Yes. Yes. But before that. The plan Beetee made and why you wanted to split from the alliance."

"I don't know. We we're coming close to the end and well, I didn't think we should hang around our allies anymore. I thought they would turn on us. But I went along with what Peeta said because he was right. If the plan worked, then we wouldn't have to kill anyone."

"So, you were too caught up in his plan to electrocute the District 2 tributes?" Katniss looks to the ground. "Yes." She responds. Caesar puts a comforting hand on her knee. She stiffens again. Caesar must see how uncomfortable she is because he removes his hand. She takes a deep breath and continues. "In the arena, that's all you know. Every bit of your life in the District is gone from your head. All you really think is survival, or in my case, Peeta's. As much as you hate to admit it, you know you have to kill people to survive. But there is a big problem with that."

"It costs your life." Caesar answers. Oh if you only know what it actually costs to kill someone. "No, not just your life. It takes away everything you are. After you kill someone, their blood on your hands for the rest of your life. You live with the guilt of taking someone's son or daughter, brother or sister, boyfriend or girlfriend, out of their lives forever." Caesar nods, shocked. Nobody has ever described the arena. It's because they don't want to relieve when they killed someone or any horror that was seen in the arena. "What about when you blew out the force field?"

"I don't know. I was acting on instinct. I wasn't thinking" Katniss replies, still looking at the floor. "Alright I was going to ask you about your thoughts on the war, but I can see it's getting a little hard on you." Katniss shakes her head. "I can talk about that." She says, fighting a smile. "Okay." Caesar motions for her to speak. She looks at the camera. "Peeta, I know you're out there listening. Think about what will happen. How many lives will be lost."

"Are you calling for a cease fire?" Caesar asks. "Yes." She answers. At first I'm shocked. She would never want a cease fire. I look into her eyes and search for a sign that she's lying. I sigh with relief. You can tell that, through her eyes, everyone can see that she doesn't mean it.

Apparently every rebel is shocked at what Katniss said. I'm afraid that they'll deem her as a traitor. Luckily Katniss was never good with words or acting. Apparent the other rebels don't know this. "Why would she say that!?" One shouts. Another shouts about how she's a traitor. "Stop!" I can't stand to hear them talk about like this. "She was probably forced!"

"How? We arw all aware that Katniss would never say this. Even if they threatened her life." How would they? What's more important to her than anything in the world? I stand there for only a moment. Then it comes to me. "Here family. Prim. We all know that Prim means the world to Katniss. She went to a death sentence to save her sister." I spread my arms out wide. "She's your Mockingjay and yet you accuse her of being a traitor? Didn't you say she sparked this rebellion." Almost everyone nods their head. "But how would Shnow know if they are alive?"

"Maybe he doesn't or maybe he does. But eother way he told her that her family is alive and he'll kill them if she doesn't follow orders." I anewer. I can only hope they understand what I'm saying. "He's right," Gale says. "I kmow Katniss well enough to know that ahd would only say something like that if her family was threatened." I can't believe Gale sided with me. With two people on board, every soldies begins to see where we are coming from.

Gale walks out of Command, probably to go somewhere else. Bit before he does, he whisper in my ear. "I did that for her." Gale walks out without another word.

"Well that was interesting." Coin says finally. "Now what did you come in here for?" She asks. I fight the urge to run to my compartment and just think about Katniss.

"I'll be your substitute Mockingjay, but I have conditions. You rescue Katniss and all other victors as soon as possible. And if they happen to appear on television and should say something traitorous, it will be ignored." Everyone looks outraged at my request. Before Coin can refuse, I continue. "In return I will follow all orders. Propos, whatever you want me to do. I'll do it. But if you don't agree to these terms or fail to meet them, you find yourself a new Mockingjay." Everyone looks completely shocked.

"Okay I'll agree. Anything else?"

"Yes. I want it announced to everyone. That and Prim can keep her cat." Coin shrugs. "Fine. I'll call a meeting in a few hours. Anything else?"

"If Katniss is harmed or killed I get to kill Snow. If I'm unavailable to kill him, Gale kills him." I say nodding at Gale who is still in shock from the interview. Coin stiffens. "That's not happening." I shrug my shoulders. "Fine. Get yourself a new Mockingjay then." I spin on my heel and walk toward the door. I grab the Knox and walk out the door without a second though. "Stop him!" I hear Coin command. All of the sudden I fe a lage force crash into my body. "Let's go Soldier." The man picks me and and draga me back to Command.

He sits me down in a chair, directly in front of Coin. "Soldier Mellark," Coin begins. I sig there a little nervous. Maybe I went too far. "We'll agree to your terms."

"Then you have yourself a Mockingjay."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games. All rights belong to Suzanne Collins. All of this work is purely fan made and no profit is being made from it. **

I walk around District 13, happier than I have ever been in my short time here. I walk through dim hallways, completely ignoring the schedule I was given. All around District 13 people give me strange looks. I guess it's because of the bracelet I'm forced to wear. _Mentally Unstable. _That's what I am to everyone since I arrived. Maybe I am, but it doesn't really matter.

"Ah, Peeta. There you are. You have been hard to find." Plutarch says walking in front of me. "Well you seem happier." I grin widely at him. He looks at me like I've grown another head. I guess because no one has seen me this happy in ages. Maybe I should try and be gradual about my emotions and not be a person that's happy one day, and depressed the next. "Yes, yes I am. I saw Katniss alive and healthy, so that's better than I ever thought." Plutarch offers me a small smile. If possible, my smile grows wider because I'm still feeling elated that Katniss is unharmed. "Alright, but you have to get serious now. We're going to be filming some propos now. Sorry it's so soon-" He starts, but I interrupt him with a wave of my hand. "It's okay. I'll film as many as needed. As long as it gets me closer to Katniss."

Plutarch smiles. "Alright Peeta, come on. We have to meet Fulvia and head down to compartment 3908." Plutarch says, turning on his heel and walking away. I follow behind him. I try and fight the grin, but it's almost impossible.

We get to the normal elevator of District 13. All metal and looks unstable, yet somehow it manages to go as fast as the Capitol's. "Ah Plutarch, you've finally found him." Fulvia Cardew says with a smile. Plutarch nods his head. "Yeah. Hard boy to find." Fulvia lightly laughs. "Okay. Level 39." Plutarch presses a small button labeled '39'. Nothing happens.

"Maybe it needs a key." Fulvia suggests. Plutarch nods and pats his pockets, looking for the key. I start bouncing on my heels like a four year old that just had pure sugar. Why am I so happy? Oh right it's because every propo brings me closer to Katniss. Finally, Plutarch pulls out a silver key. "Here we are." He inserts the key into a small hole that I didn't see. As soon as he turns it the door slides shut and we shoot down to floor 39.

We arrive not even minutes later. I knew District 13 went far underground, but never this far. "Hey, I have to go to Command, but you guys can go." Fulvia says, and before either of can respond, the elevator door closes. I turn back around and take in the brightly lit corridor. All the doors are clearly labeled with numbers. "Three-nine-O-six, three-nine-O-seven. Ah Three-Nine-O-eight." I hear Plutarch mutter. He walks to the door, but an armored guard blocks his way.

"No visitors." He says looking at Plutarch. Plutarch gives him a curious look. "But we're scheduled to film a propo here. This is three-nine-O-eight right?" The guard shakes his head.

"You probably have the wrong floor." The guard says harshly. Plutarch raises his eyebrows. "Can you call up to Command and check?" Plutarch asks. The guard shakes his head again. "No-" he begins, but a whimper interrupts him. I push past him and rush to the door. "Hey," He shouts. "You can't go in there!" The guard shouts after me, but I just ignore him and push open the door. Beaten, battered and bloody. Katniss' prep team are hung by shackles on the wall.

"What's going on here?" Plutarch says, but to me his voice sounds far away. I can't believe it. They were held here the whole time. If District 13 does this to allies, I can't even imagine what would happen to Katniss if she did something wrong. The thought of Katniss hurt makes me sick to my stomach.

I turn to the guard, furious that he would hurt such innocent people. "Release them! They didn't do anything wrong!" I demand. The guard looks at me, shock purely written on his face. "I-I can't do that. You don't have the authority to."

"Do it on mine. We were coming to collect them anyway." Plutarch says. "Hold on." The guard walks away and I turn back to the prep team. One with light green skin, Octavia I think, flinches. "Hey," I say in a soft voice. "I won't hurt you." One with golden tattoos above her eyebrows, Venia I believe, looks at me. "Where's Katniss?" She asks. All my happiness is gone in a flash. Sadness replaces it. I forgot she was with President Snow. Such a small detail, yet such an important one. Sure she's healthy, but she's with a person with no guilt or remorse. "Katniss," I begin. "She's in the Capitol." Venia looks to the ground, shocked by the revelation.

"Okay, come on." Plutarch says. The guard hands him a key. Plutarch releases them and they all fall the ground. I rush over to them and help all of them off. "Thank you Peeta. Katniss has very good taste in guys." Octavia whispers in my ear causing me to blush.

"Let's get you to the hospital." I say. Since they were beaten by a District 13 soldier, I don't trust them to take care of them. The only person I know won't harm them are Prim and her mother.

Since they are so weak, I basically have to carry them to the hospital. As soon as arrive, Prim and her mother rush to me. Since I zoned out of the conversation between Plutarch and the guard, I let him explain.

"They were punished for stealing bread." Plutarch says, giving a quick explanation. To say I'm horrified is putting it lightly. I knew District 13 had strict rules about food, but I never knew the punishment would be so harsh. Both Prim and Mrs. Everdeen's eyes widen, but they quickly dismiss whatever shock they had and get to work.

I stand outside the hospital, waiting for the verdict on their state. I don't know why I care for them so much. I guess because they can't defend themselves. Finally after hours of waiting, Prim comes out. "How are they?" I ask immediately. Prim looks so serious. She doesn't look thirteen anymore. She looks like a person that has seen too much war and bloodshed. "Well they are all malnourished and dehydrated. They have a few injuries, but nothing life threatening. Their mental state is different. They're scared of everyone, except my mother, myself, and you." I nod my head. I expected that.

"And Peeta. Why don't you keep the hunting jacket?" Prim suggests. I shake my head. As much as I want it, I can't take it. It belongs to them, besides I have the pearl and medallion that is still around my neck. At least nobody has seen it yet because it would probably be taken away from me. "No Prim. I can't. It belongs to you."

"It's fine. Besides it's already in your compartment." Prim turns around before I can say anything else. She's such a nice young girl, yet she had to watch her sister in two Hunger Games, now she's worried about her sister being in the Capitol. This is something no thirteen year old should go through.

They decided to postpone the propo, but just for a few hours. I sit in Command, listening to Plutarch explaining the rebellion to me. I knew a little, but not as much as he is telling me now. "This is the uniform Katniss was going to wear." Plutarch says, sliding a sketchbook in front of me. I open it slowly are carefully. Inside it is Katniss dressed for battle. This can only be the work of Katniss' stylist, Cinna. Is he in the Capitol with Katniss? It would be good for her to have him by her side. "Plutarch?" I ask tearing my eyes away from the sketchbook. "Yes? Do you want to see what your costume would be?" He asks, taking another sketchbook out. I shake my head. "No. Not yet anyway. I just wanted to know if Cinna is with Katniss."

Katniss' prep team have been silent the entire time, finally speak. "She didn't tell you?" Venia asks, slightly surprised. I shake my head. "Tell me what?" I ask, tensing a little. "Peeta. Cinna was killed in front of Katniss, right before she entered the games." At that, I bury my head in my hands. Cinna, the one person Katniss trusted in the Capitol, is dead. And she had to go into the games right after seeing it. I knew she was strong, but never like this. Never this brave.

"I'm going to go." I push back my chair, without waiting to be dismissed. I travel through the corridors, trying to find the shortest path to the hospital. Finally after a few minutes I arrive and fine Finnick on his hospital bed tying and untying rope. "Hey Finnick." I say. Finnick looks up at me. "What did Coin say about the rescue mission?"

"She agreed and will give all the victors a pardon if they happen to say something traitorous. But in return I have to follow all her orders." Finnick's eyes light up with life. "Really? When will they rescue them?" He asks.

"I don't know, but it's going to be soon. Also I had Coin announce my conditions to the entire District 13 population. That happened a few hours ago. I think we both missed it." Finnick's eyes widen. He looks at me, concern clearly visible. "You have to be careful with the demands you make Peeta. She may have wanted you to be rescued from the arena instead of Katniss, but-" I stop him then and there. "Wait. Coin wanted me to be rescued? Instead of Katniss?" I ask. Finnick nods, watching me carefully. "She always liked you more than Katniss." He says slowly. I'm angry at Coin. She should've tried better to rescue her. I try and control my anger, but I can't. It's almost impossible. Just to release some anger I grab the nearest thing I can find, which just happens to be Finnick's lunch, and throw it across the room.

Finnick nervously slides away. He's never seen me mad. No one has. "Look Peeta. I know you think Coin should've rescued her first, but she couldn't. By the time the rebels got there the Capitol already got Johanna, Enobaria and Katniss. I don't know why they didn't take us. Maybe because they had to rush out of there." I nod my head stiffly.

"Alright fine." I turn on my heel and walk out of the hospital. I jog to my compartment and as soon as I get there I collapse onto the bed and close my eyes. All of the sudden I smell a familiar scent. Katniss' scent. I smile a little and pull her closer to me, only to find it's not her. I reach my arm out, only to grab air. My eyes snap open and all I see is Katniss' hunting jacket.

I bury my head in my hands and cry. I've tried to be strong in front of everyone, but each passing day makes it harder and harder. All of the sudden I hear a knock on my door. I wipe away any remaining tears. "Come in." I say in the most normal voice I can muster.

Katniss' prep team walks in slowly. "Hey Peeta. President Coin wants a propo filmed. We have to you ready." Venia says. I slowly nod my head and get from my bed. They all smile at me and bring me to my bathroom. "Fulvia wants you at Beauty Base Zero." They fill the small metal tub and fill it with sweet smelling bubbles. I guess Plutarch brought it from the Capitol. As soon as it's full, Katniss' prep team leave me to strip down and get cleaned up.

* * *

><p>I run my hands through my now dry hair. Flavius looks ready to swat my hand away, but Venia stops him. "Don't. It messes it up exactly how we want it." Flavius nods and begins to cut my hair. It only takes a few more minutes until we finish. "There. All done. Now we can get some lunch." I smile and stand up from the chair.<p>

We all walk out of my compartment and everyone stares at the prep team. Some in disgust, others in shock. They point and whisper about them. "Forget about them. You don't have to worry about what they think." I say to them. They nod their heads and follow me to the dining hall, where people begin to whisper.

"Here," I say handing them some food. "You need it." They look at the food in disgust. It must be hard for them. They are so used to extravagance. We all sit down and eat. "Look, I'm sorry I've been so hard on you. I shouldn't hate you, but I do." I watch as Gale takes a seat next to me.

"Why are you sorry?"

"For being such a jerk. I hate you for wrong reasons. Peeta, you have the ability to get Katniss' attention without even trying. I don't know if she told you this, but-" Gale says, but whatever he was going to say dies in his mouth. "Told me what?" I ask nervously. Gale tenses and scratches the back of his neck. "When she walked me back to my house in the Seam, I kissed her. The after I was whipped and unconscious, she kissed me." I push my remaining food around my dish. "At least she kissed you without being forced." I point out. Gale scowls at me. "You have to stop being a victim!" He explodes, causing me to jump. I've never seen him this mad before. "The way she kissed you in the first games and Quarter Quell, she never kissed me like that!" I'm about to deny what he said, but Venia interrupts me.

"Peeta. We have to get to your propo." I nod my head and look at Gale. "See you around." Gale looks at me with no emotion and nods. Sometimes, I can't look at him in the eye. He's so much like Katniss. He has her personality, looks, and even the same fire in the eyes.

"Peeta, all we need you to say is 'People of Panem! We fight! We dare! We end our hunger for justice!' Got it?" Plutarch asks. I nod my head and move to the middle of the room.

"Alright. Ready Peeta?" I nod my head and try and place a serious look on my face. Smoke begins to curl around my feet. "Begin."

"People of Panem!" I boom. "We fight! We Dare! We end our hunger for justice!" I hear slow clapping coming from the door. "Now that was good, but not good enough." I look over to Fulvia who looks beyond mad.

"You can't just walk in here Haymitch!" She screams. Haymitch just shrugs and grabs my shoulder. "Come on Lover Boy. Let's have a chat with those people." He drags me into the production room and pushes me into a chair.

"This boy has a way with words and you're wasting it on that trash!" Haymitch shouts. Fulvia looks even angrier than before. "You should send the boy into actual combat. Give him something he can put his words to good use." Coin scowls at Haymitch.

"That won't happen! He is far too valuable to send into combat!"

"Send him somewhere safe! Like District 8. The Capitol just bombed there and I don't think they'll strike again." Plutarch nods in agreement. "He has a point. Let's send him to eight." Coin looks like she's about to refuse, but I stop her. "Send me to eight. I can help people there and you can get some good footage."

"Fine. But you are to have guards around you at all times. You have to wear an earpiece that will give you contact to Haymitch." I nod my head. Finally I can do something useful.

"Alright. We'll send Boggs, Gale, and a few others with you." I give her a curious look. "Who's Boggs?" Coin gives me a forced smile. "Why, he is my right hand man of course!" I nod my head blankly.

"So when do we go?"

"Today. Suit up Peeta. Time is wasting."

**AN: Okay so thank you to everyone that has followed/favorited this story. Also thank you to my reviewers, honeylove90, aclaro, Guest, Godiva9, .Allyyyyyy.x, and Nik1675. How was the chapter? Good? Bad? Moderate?**

**Should I do a Hunger Games question of the day? If you want me to, I will. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games. All rights belong to Suzanne Collins. All of this work is purely fan made and no profit is being made from it. **

**AN: Thank you to all of my reviewers!**

**TheFoxFacedGirl: Aww thanks! I will write more!**

**Nik1627: Well here is District 8! I hope you like this chapter! And thanks! I'm glad you like this story**

**Godiva9: I tried to get Peeta's emotions right in this chapter! I'm glad you like Peeta in this chapter! And Cinna's death was so sad! I agree. He really liked Katniss and wanted to protect her!**

**AssassinPoma: I'm sorry that you found those problems. I went back to fix them. I don't exactly try to make Peeta in character because Katniss isn't with him, so I tried to drift away from his original character. I didn't know I did it that much! Thanks for pointing that out. As for Katniss, I went back to fix that too. I had Peeta explain a little about why she would've suggested a cease-fire. If you don't want to go back to read it, I can explain it here. Katniss only suggested the cease-fire because President Snow threatened Prim's life. As we all know, Katniss is only sure that she loves Prim. And she doesn't know about District 12, yet. I also fixed Coin's part too. **

**Honeylove90: I'm glad you thought it was great! I'm happy that you want to 'keep at it!' And the question comes up at the end of the chapter. **

"I wasn't sure what your weapon choice was. I know you liked to use spears, knives or swords, but I don't think that will work well in this kind of war." Beetee says as he wheels around the weapon center. So this is where he disappeared to after he was well enough to move. He hands me a large rifle. "You have practiced right?" He asks. I scratch the back of my neck nervously. I've shot one a few times in the training class, but after a little while, I stopped going. "Um, not really. A few times."

"Alright. I need to tell you the basics." He taps the scope attached to the rifle. "First find you target. Then stand with your legs shoulder length apart. Hold the gun tightly because if you don't, the power from the rifle could blow the gun out of your hands." I nod my head and follow his instructions. I feel lethal with this in my hands. This is a weapon that is actually meant to kill somebody. The practical design was meant to hurt a person.

I look through the scope and plant my feet shoulder length apart. I search for the target and soon it comes into view. I take a deep breath and fire. The rifle kicks back, but luckily I had a good grip on it. "Nice Peeta. That's about all you can learn in this short amount of time. And Peeta, make sure you tell Finnick that I have a trident ready for him. I told him a while ago, but he must have forgotten after all the time in the hospital." I offer a small smile and nod. "Alright. See you around Beetee." Beetee nods and goes back to work on a bow and arrow. It's a sleek black and looks as light as a feather. It must have been for Katniss. A wave of pain and sorrow hits me. It still amazes me that just a little while ago I was happy."

* * *

><p>"So Peeta, District 8-" Boggs begins, but Finnick's struggling interrupts him. "Peeta!" He shouts in desperation. "They said I couldn't go! That I'm not healthy enough! Tell them I am!" I take a good look at Finnick. I have to say, he doesn't look that healthy. He looks underweight and dehydrated. "Finnick!" I shout. He stops struggling and looks at me. "Yes?"<p>

"Beetee told me to tell you that he has a trident ready for you. I'm not sure what it does though." When I say 'trident', Finnick looks like the happiest person in the world. "Really?" I nod my head. "Yep. And if like any other of the weapons I saw, it's probably going to be amazing." Finnick grins widely. "Well I should go and get it."

"Um Finnick." I say before he can push the elevator button. He looks up at me. "Pants?" I suggest lightly. "You don't want to go out in public without them." He looks down and realizes that he's only wearing a hospital gown. He rips it off himself, leaving him in just boxers. He strikes a pose. "Why? I hear the ladies love me! I mean I am _the _Finnick Odair." He exclaims. I can't help, but release a loud laugh. "Please! Look at who you're competing against!" I joke. Finnick looks at me in complete shock. "Peeta Mellark!" He exclaims loudly. "I am shocked at your behavior! Get out of my sight." Finnick fakes one of those things girls do-um hair flips?-and turns around dramatically. I grin at him. I missed the old Finnick. I look over to Boggs who is struggling to keep the grin off of his face.

"Alright Soldier." Boggs says, fighting to keep his voice serious. "We must get to the hovercraft."

* * *

><p>I sit on the uncomfortable metal seats of the hovercraft. After a few minutes of arguing about who else would be going with me to District 8, we finally settled on people. Gale, Boggs, Mitchel, Holmes, Castor, Cressida, Messalla and Pollux. Haymitch is going to be up in the air, making sure I'm safe. Cressida, Pollux, Castor and Messalla are going to be part of my camera crew. While Gale, Boggs, Mitchel, and Holmes will be guarding me.<p>

Before we land, Haymitch walks up to me. "Here Lover Boy," He says dropping a purple pill into the palm of my hand. "It is nightlock, but in pill form. You are to use it in an emergency." He taps a pocket on my sleeve. It's a perfect distance to reach, even if I can't use my hands. I place the deadly pill, in its rightful place. I can only hope that I never have to use it. Everyone except Haymitch and the pilots leave the hovercraft.

We follow Boggs down a series of alleyways. It feels like he's leading us to our death. As soon as District 8 comes into view I'm shocked. Everywhere, injured people are being brought to a building with a large 'H' symbol written on the front. I-I can't believe this. I knew the Capitol was cruel, but never this cruel. There are so many children that are injured or dead. It was bad enough in the arena, but in the Districts it's even worse. At least in the Arena, you know you could possibly die, but out here. In the Districts, you don't expect this.

"I'm going to the hospital." I say, already walking forward. Boggs looks ready to stop me, but Cressida grabs his arm. "No. He should go. We can get some good footage." Footage. This is what it's all about. Getting good footage to boost up the Districts morale. Sure they need it, but using people like this? I take a deep breath. I can't say anything because if I do, Coin will throw my conditions away.

I walk into the hospital carefully. I don't want to scare anybody. My footsteps echo in the now silent room. "Peeta?" Someone asks. I look towards the voice and see a young girl, maybe eight, looking up at me. So young to go through this war. I kneel down in front of her. I look into her icy blue eyes, yet her eyes seem to make me melt. "Yes?" She wraps her arms around my neck so suddenly that it causes me to fall back a little.

She pulls back and looks at me, hope clearly in her eyes. "Are you going to help us? Are you going to fight with us?" She asks. I nod my head. "Yes. I'm going to help you. I will. I'll fight for you." She offers me a small smile. How can President Snow be so cruel? Can he really stand to know that he is hurting these children?

"Where are your parents?" I ask carefully. She looks down, tears evident in her eyes. On instinct I pull her close to me. "Hey it's okay." I say, even though I know the truth. She begins to cry on my shoulder. I hold her tightly, not wanting to let her go. I may not know her, but I don't want to release her into the world again. Not this world. "What's your name sweetheart?" I ask, except I don't use sweetheart the way Haymitch would. "A-Adela." She says, still clinging to me. I smile, even though she can't see it. "What a beautiful name. And suits you too because you are such a beautiful girl." Adela pulls back.

"W-Will you be my new big brother?" She asks, still crying. She lost all her family. Not just her parents, but most of her family. I smile at her. "Of course I will." I take my rifle and hand it to Boggs. "Can you hold onto that for a while? I don't think I'll need it here."

I life Adela onto my back. She holds onto me as tightly as she can. I walk around the rest of the hospital, talking to everyone else. "I'm sorry about the baby Peeta." One woman says. Baby? Oh right the lie. Katniss said she lost the baby in the explosion. I offer a weak smile. "Yeah. It was hard to hear that. Especially because we couldn't be together." The woman smiles at me and falls back onto her bed. I can't help, but feel guilty. All of these people are in here because of something I did. If I just died in the first games, then this wouldn't be happening. Katniss would've never threatened to take the berries.

"Peeta." Cressida whispers to me. "We have to go now." I nod my head and continue out of the hospital. I'm about to walk out, but Boggs stops me. "I'm sorry Peeta, but you can't bring her with you." I frown at Boggs. Can he really say that? Does he really want me to leave this young girl in harm's way? "No. She's coming with me." I push past Boggs, grabbing my rifle while I'm in front of him. I walk into the deserted streets.

I walk back to the hovercraft, taking my time. Adela fell asleep a little while ago, so I don't want to wake her up. "Peeta! We have to go. A Capitol ship was just spotted." Boggs says, looking down at his communicuff. I nod my head and begin to jog a little awkwardly. Having a kid on your back and a rifle in your hand can cause you to run slowly.

"Peeta! Look out!" Boggs shouts from behind me. I look over and see bombs starting to fall. I dive into the nearest alleyway. I bring Adela off my back and put her in front of me. I shield her small form with my body. Her eyes snap open and she looks at me, fear evident in her eyes. She moves closer to me and I try to wrap a comforting arm around her. All of the sudden I feel a sharp pain in my shoulder. I release a groan. Another force crashes into me, making whatever hit me in my shoulder, hurt worse. I look to the side and see Boggs shielding me from any debris.

After a few minutes the bombs stop. "Come on. Commander Paylor told me they have a bunker not far from here." Boggs says, walking forward. What's back there though? What are they targeting? That's when the realization dawns on me. They're targeting to hospital. "They're targeting the hospital!" I shout. For the first time in hours, Haymitch talks to me. "Not your fight Peeta. You have to find the bunker. We can't afford for you to get hurt." I clench my fists. He's right, but they are all injured and unarmed. Snow killed them just to send a message to the rebels.

I walk forward, but not where Boggs is. I walk toward the hospital. "Peeta! Get back to Boggs! You can't go out there! Think of Katniss!" He shouts, using my only weakness-my kryptonite-against me. "If you die, then she dies too." I freeze in my tracks. He's right. I don't want Katniss to die. Not when I could prevent it. I spin on my heel and walk back to Boggs. "Soldier Mellark!" He shouts in anger. "You are supposed to stay here! You're lucky that the Capitol stopped a few minutes ago. If you went any sooner, they would've spotted you and you would be dead." I look to the ground.

"Sorry," I mutter. "I want to see the Hospital again."

"No. It's too dangerous-" Boggs begins, but I interrupt him. "I don't care right now. I want to see it. Besides you said they are all gone. What's the harm?"

"Let him go." Cressida says, pulling out a microphone. Footage. Once again that's what she wants. I turn around and see Adela standing behind me. I kneel down and open my arms. "Come on," I say. She rushes into my arms and clings to me. I pick her up and put her on my back.

We all walk toward the hospital. Not fast, but not fast. It takes us a while to get to the hospital because every now and then there a peacekeepers. Honestly I don't want to hurt them, but thoughts of Katniss possibly being hurt by them, drives me to. I know I'll feel guilty afterwards. As soon as I get to the hospital, I'm in shock. I can't believe this. I feel tears pool in my eyes. All those people that wanted to survive we're killed. I'm betting that everyone in there has died already. I put Adela down in front of Gale, who brings her close to him. I look around and take in the wreckage a little more. "Peeta," Cressida says. "You just watched the hospital fall. Thoughts?" I turn toward Cressida and see that the camera is rolling.

I take a deep breath and begin. "A hospital, full of people. Children, men, and women. They were all unarmed and the Capitol bombed them anyway. The Capitol sent out a message telling us to give up, but that won't work. Every time they do this, it will only drive us forward. The fact they killed these people, without a second thought, only proves that they never show mercy. And they never will. If you think they will, then you're wrong." I spread my arms out wide. Indicating all the flames behind me. Every single emotion that I have kept contained, comes rushing out like a flood. I pour every emotion into my words.

"This is what they do! For those of you afraid, stop and think about how many friends, family, or anyone important to you has been sent into The Hunger Games. How many innocent children has he killed? Hundreds? He did this because of entertainment. All because he wanted a good show, he used the Districts. Every single District. No one was an exception. Nobody is excused from the Hunger Games. Not even when you win. Because you are still fighting when you leave the Arena. The fight never dies!" I let a tear slip out.

"Use everything you have and fight back. Don't die in fear of the Capitol. Be brave and fight back because if you do, you know that you have brought this nation one step closer to freedom. And a message for President Snow. Go ahead! Send out bombers! Kill us! Torture us! Do whatever you want! But know this, we _will_ go down fighting. We _will_ fight until the end. And when the end comes, I promise that we _will_ bring you down with us. President Snow, you once told someone that a spark is okay as long it's contained, but when it's not it can turn into an inferno. Well know this. Fire is catching! And if we burn, you burn with us!"

**AN: Another one! I know, but hey, I promised a question. Rules are that if you are a guest, then you must have an original name. You must be the first four people to answer if you want to be mentioned in the next chapter. I'll start off easy. **

**What was Katniss named after?**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games. All rights belong to Suzanne Collins. All of this work is purely fan made and no profit is being made from it. **

**AN: Okay so thank you everyone that reviewed, followed/favorited, and congratulations to everyone that got the question correct. **

**The first four people that got it right were Kickcanadiandaughternumber1, Everlarkmakorraforever, Godiva9, and honeylove90. Congratulations to you guys! Dedication to you guys! Oh and honeylove90, your story, Lost Love, was great! It was a very interesting to read! I can't wait to see where you go with it. **

**The answer was: Katniss was named after a root. **

"Cut!" Cressida shouts. Once the cameras are gone, I fall to my knees. All my remaining emotions wash over me. I take heaving breaths. Everyone in there is dead and it's my fault. If never came here, then they would still be alive. _But you wouldn't have met Adela. _Was it good or bad for me to come here? I met Adela, but was it worth letting all of these people die?

"Come on Peeta. We should get your shoulder looked at when we get back to District 13." Boggs says as he holds out his hand. I take it and rise to my feet. "Why my shoulder?" I ask, blankly. Boggs puts his hand on my shoulder and a sharp wave of pain hits me. "Oh." I walk over and take Adela's hand. "Come on sweetheart. You're going to come back to District 13 with me. Okay?" She nods her head and wraps her arms around my waist. Despite the guilt I feel about allowing the bombing to happen, I chuckle. I put the rifle on my shoulder and pick Adela up bridal style.

After a few minutes of walking Adela falls asleep. After everything that happened, I'm surprised that she can even sleep. "You would make a really good father." Cressida whispers. I smile and look down at Adela's sleeping form. "I'm going to keep you safe. I promise." I whisper even though she can't hear me. At the sound of my chest.

I take a seat on the smaller hovercraft and reposition Adela so she's comfortable. Since there aren't any seats, I have to lay down and wrap my arm around her. I try to ignore the pain I feel in my shoulder, but every time I move, I feel pain. When I start to move a little, Adela snuggles closer to me. I smile and push some stray hairs from her face. After a few minutes of just lying on the ground, I fall asleep.

I wake up and I see that I'm in a hospital. I look down and see that my arm is in a sling. Wait. Why a sling? I look to my right and see a sharp two inch piece of shrapnel. A woman with blue eyes, that resemble mine, stare down at me. Mrs. Everdeen. Katniss' mother. "Oh good. You're awake." She says with a sigh. "You've been out a day." My eyes widen. I can't believe I was out that long. All of the sudden, a thought hits me. "Wait. Where's Adela?" I ask Mrs. Everdeen who gives me a confused look. "Who's that?"

"Um she has auburn hair and blue eyes." I say, explaining her appearance. Mrs. Everdeen nods her head. "Ah so that's her name. She's right next to you." I look over to my side and see Adela in a chair next to me, asleep. "Peeta," Mrs. Everdeen begins. "They want you in Command." I nod my head and sit up straight. As soon as I do, pain rushes to my head.

"Whoa. Take it easy." Mrs. Everdeen says, pushing me back down onto my hospital bed. "You don't have a concussion or anything like that. But you are probably going to suffer from a lot of headaches for a few days. Here. Take these pills twice a day for two days. One in the morning and one a night." I take the bottle from her hands and put it in my pocket. I guess I was never changed from the clothes I wore in District 8.

"How do I get to Command?" I ask. She nods to a wheelchair in the corner of the room. "It's better than walking." She wheels the chair over to me and helps me into it. I get flashes of pain, but I do my best to ignore them. As soon as I get comfortable and the pain stops, I begin to head to Command, with Adela right beside me. We talk about happier times, since this war is causing everyone so much pain. "Does Katniss actually love you? At times it seems like she does, other times-" She says trailing off. I shrug my shoulders, because I don't know myself.

"Honestly I don't know. Sometimes I don't even think she knows herself." I say. Adela looks to the ground and nods. We don't talk much after that. After a few minutes of walking-wheeling-we arrive at Command. "Ah Peeta. Nice of you to arrive." Coin says. She turns to a computer screen and types a few things.

* * *

><p>I sit back in my wheelchair. Cressida did a great job with this propo. Everyone claps to something someone said, and I go along with it. Let's just say I'm not paying attention. I'm too busy thinking about Katniss and if she saw this propo. After a little while of me clapping, people give me strange looks. I snap myself out of my thoughts. "Peeta," Adela whispers. "You were clapping for yourself." I immediately feel embarrassed. I guess those are the consequences for not paying attention. I cast a glance over at Fulvia who looks upset that her idea of myself in the studio failed.<p>

"Well, that propo has hit the Districts hard. Half of District 2 already joined, but the other half is still loyal to the Capitol. The half that is loyal to the Capitol is the one with the weapons and power. So to get them on our side, we should send Peeta into actual combat." Coin says, standing up and looking around the room. Everyone is nodding in agreement.

"Alright, but we have to be extra careful. Peeta's words are strong and we don't want to lose that. We already lost Katniss. We can't lose Peeta too." Her words make me furious. I clench my fist. "Well then you should've rescued her!" I blurt out. All eyes turn to me. Coin glares harshly at me. "Peeta, you know we tried." She says through clenched teeth. Sensing my need to get out, Adela turns me around in my wheelchair and rolls me out of the room before anyone can stop us. I hear footsteps behind me.

"Look. I don't want to talk to you right now Haymitch."

"I'm not Haymitch," Gale says coldly. Adela stops and turns to hug Gale. He gives her a quick hug back. It's amazing how fast she trusted him. "Right." I reply. "Look, you go wherever you were heading and I'll bring Adela back to your Compartment. Because I'm sure she doesn't want to sleep in a hospital." I reluctantly nod my head. Honestly I don't want her away from me, but he has a point. Besides I know he'll protect her. Like Katniss, he has a soft spot for children.

I have Prim, who just happened to be walking by, wheel me back to the hospital. "You were really good in the propo Peeta." She says. I nod my head. "Thanks Prim."

As soon as I get helped back into bed, I doze off until dinner. "Peeta," Finnick whispers. I groan and move to the side a little. "Peeta!" He shouts loudly. I jump a little at his proximity. "Ouch! Did you have to shout in my ear!?" I exclaim, a little too loudly. Finnick shrugs and feigns innocence. "What? Me? Now why would I do something like that?" I chuckle at him. He's happier, more alive now. I don't know why, but whatever it is, I'm happy. He should be happy.

"They're airing the propo. We should watch it." I nod my head and continue to eat my small dinner. Finnick turns on the television and I see Katniss' mockingjay pin, surrounded by fire. The black screen fades away and I see myself with Adela. It cuts from where I was speaking to clips of me talking to patients. As it gets closer to the end, there is a black screen. There is a spark and the words 'Fire is catching and if we burn, you burn with us,' appear, surrounded by flames. Soon it all disappears.

"What you did for that little girl was sweet. And it's good everyone knows about District 8. Without the propos, they wouldn't know what would happen." I nod my head in agreement.

"Alright. Just turn off the-" I begin, but hearing the Capitol Anthem, stops me. "Wait!" Finnick freezes and turns toward the television. Caesar Flickerman appears and I know who is guest is. The camera pulls away and I see someone that resembles Katniss, except she looks much different. She looks like she did when she was eleven. Thin, except the only difference is that her hands now shake nervously. She tries to hide it by clenching her fists, but that just makes it worse. And something else is different. Something in her eyes. They show pain and worry, but there is something else. They're almost unfocused?

A thought hits me. How is this possible? I just saw her not too long ago. What could they have done to make her transform so much? Many different images of Katniss being hurt flood my mind. My eyes pool with tears at the thought of that.

"So, Katniss," Caesar begins. "I'm going to get straight to the point. Why is Peeta filming these propos?" Katniss stiffens slightly. "He thinks…I don't know what he's thinking." Katniss looks down at her shaking hands. "Take your time to think." Katniss takes a deep breath and looks back at Caesar. "Manipulation. They are manipulating him into doing this. He doesn't know…the damage he's causing. He doesn't know what he's doing." I can tell that every single word is forced. She doesn't want to say this. She wants this rebellion to succeed so we can all be free. "Is there something you want to say to Peeta?"

"Yes," Katniss says. She looks to the camera and stares directly at me. It's as if she knows the exact position I am sitting in. "Think about this Peeta. Do you know the real….damage? How many people will lose their lives because of this war? The rebels…..they've turned you into a destructive weapon. Stop all of this…before it's too late. Peeta, you need to find out what they are really using you for. And you have to remember who the real enemy is." After that nothing. Once again, she's called for a cease fire. What are they threatening her with now? Are they still threatening to kill everyone important to her? Wait. Does she still think District 12 exists? If not…he can use that against her. Threaten to kill every single person in District 12.

Finnick grabs my arm, causing me to snap out of my thoughts. "Are you okay?" He asks, concern clear in his eyes. "Yeah. Fine." I lie, but my voice breaking gives me away. Finnick frowns at me. He grips my arm to the point where it hurts. "Don't lie Peeta. I'm your friend and you can tell me anything. Besides I wouldn't be able to tell anyone because I'm considered mentally unstable, but after being in the Games, who isn't?"

"I guess after being in the Games, you are never the same." Finnick nods. "Yes. So how are you feelings with Katniss? And don't lie." I sigh deeply. I'm tempted to say broken, but that just seems too overdramatic. "Worried, scared. I don't know what they are doing to Katniss in there. What could make her look like this in such a short amount of time?" I say, but I fear I already know the answer. "Peeta, they could've shot the interview as soon as she came out of the Arena." I bring my knees to my chest and nod. Maybe if I become small enough I can disappear. A few minutes later of complete silence, Finnick speaks up. "We should go to sleep. They should be coming in any second." I nod my head and crawl under the covers. Sadly sleep isn't easy because I'm being sent nightmare after nightmare.

* * *

><p>I wake up in a cold sweat. Images of Katniss being beaten are still fresh in my mind. I look over and see Finnick wide awake. He looks at me completely concerned. "Are you okay? You were whispering 'Katniss' in your sleep." I'm surprised at his revelation. Normally I'm frozen because of the nightmares. Katniss is the one that makes the noise and thrashes in her sleep. "I was? Sorry. It was just a dream." Finnick nods his head in understanding. "It's alright. I get them too. We all do." I'm frozen in place. This was the exact conversation Katniss and I had on the train. <em>'Stay with me?' She had asked me. I nodded my head in response and crawled into bed next to her. 'Yeah. Always.' I had replied. <em>Although I broke that promise. I didn't stay with her. I left her alone. "Peeta," Finnick begins. I look up at him. He shakes his head. "Never mind. Forget about it."

"No tell me. Is something bothering you?" I ask, starting to feel guilty that I haven't asked about Annie. "Yes, but I don't want to trouble you. You already have a lot on your plate with Katniss." He says, waving me off. I shake my head. "No. Tell me. Besides it is good to talk." Finnick sighs deeply. "I know they won't use her like they do Katniss. They won't torture it like they will Johanna, but I'm worried about her mind. She's already broken because of her District partner and I'm afraid of what she will see. If she sees anything bad it might break her more."

"Look Finnick. I think she'll be fine. They are just holding her. They know you wouldn't tell her about any of this. They will be rescued. I promise." He nods his head. "I hope so." We sit there, telling jokes and focusing on happier times.

"Ah. Mr. Mellark. You are scheduled to take your medication." A doctor says. I nod my head and hand him the pill bottle. "One in the morning and one at night." He opens the bottle and drops one pill into his hand. "Now you should take it food. Your breakfast will be here in a minute." He drops the pill and pill bottle back into my hand and walks over to Finnick.

Soon enough, the small portion of food arrives. I take the pill with the watered down soup. Since we don't have anywhere to be, Finnick and I just talk. Occasionally we fall asleep, but it's only for a few minutes.

* * *

><p>It's been two days and no mention of Katniss' interview. Every time Prim comes into my hospital room, I'm tempted to ask her about Katniss' interview, but I always decide against it. I'm afraid it will upset her too much.<p>

"Hey Peeta." Prim says while walking to my hospital bed. "Hi." I reply with a smile. "Why hasn't anyone said anything at Katniss interview?" I blurt out before I can think. Tears fill Prim's eyes. "We were hoping you didn't see that. Everyone here in thirteen thought it would hurt you if you found out about it." I frown. They don't think I can stand to see that? That I would just breakdown? Okay I might have, but not in the way they think. "They wanted me to come and tell you to go to Command." I nod my head and slowly climb out of bed. The headaches have subsided, so I only feel a dull ache.

When I arrive at Command, everyone is suiting up to go somewhere. "Ah there you are Peeta. We're all heading to District 12. We wanted you to come with us." I shrug my shoulders, but agree to go. As we all walk to the hovercraft Plutarch talks about the _We Remember _propos. He says that they should be up by the end of this week. They hope that all of these propos anger the Districts enough to get everyone to join the rebellion.

It's not until I get onto the hovercraft that I realize how nervous I am. It was hard enough the first time, but a second? Maybe it wasn't a good idea to come down to District 12, but I have no choice. I can't back out now. Not after I agreed to go.

We land in the meadow by Katniss' house. When I asked about Haymitch, they said he didn't want to come back to twelve. It was too painful to see his home like this. At least without liquor. "So, what do you want us to do?" I ask Cressida. "Whatever you want. Look around. Go to your old homes. Anything actually." I nod my head and just walk. I don't exactly think about going anywhere in particular, but somehow I end up at my family's bakery. I wonder if they are buried under all of this rubble. Or are they part of the bodies that litter the street?

I look over all of the rubble and sitting on top of everything is a single rose, but instead of being white it is blue. From what I heard, it represents something unattainable or something impossible. President Snow wants to mock me with Katniss. He's trying to destroy me. Not physically, but emotionally. He knows my love for Katniss runs deep. I silently pick up the rose and walk to the Seam, where I know Gale would be.

On my way to the Seam, Cressida tries to ask me questions about the bakery. "Sorry Cressida. I don't think I'm ready to talk about it." Cressida nods in understanding and doesn't press me for answers.

"What's that?" He asks, nodding to the single rose in my hand. "A gift from Snow." At the name, Gale tenses. He curses under his breath. "He's going to pay." He mutters. He pushes past me and walks toward the woods.

"So, where are you headed now Gale?" Cressida asks. "To the woods." We follow him through the meadow and through the woods. I don't know where we are headed, but wherever it is, it must be important to Gale.

By the time Gale stops, everyone is covered in sweat. "What is this place?" I ask. Gale walks over and sits down on a large rock. "This was a place I shared with Katniss. We had our own spot that we would hang out in after hunting." Gale explains taking a deep breath. It seems to be painful for him. This was a special place to him.

Gale slides over to a blackberry bush and plucks one off. He smiles at little bit. "Happy Hunger Games." He whispers. He tosses it up and catches it in his mouth. "And may the odds be ever in your favor." He's mocking the Capitol accents. Is this also something they did together? Mock the Capitol residents? I wouldn't be surprised if they did.

We sit by the lake that Gale pointed out to us. Cressida asked him about the meaning and he just shrugged. To him it doesn't have a big meaning, but to Katniss, it did. Apparently, her father taught her how to swim here.

Out of nowhere, I feel a tap on my shoulder. I jump and turn to Pollux who is signing something. "He wants to know if you know how to sing." Castor explains. "Um, I know one song, but I'm not a good singer." Castor signs something to Pollux and Pollux signs something back. "He doesn't mind. He wants to hear a song." I hold in a sigh. I can't sing. Not like Katniss or her father. I remember that whenever either of them sang, all the birds would fall silent.

Before I sing, I whistle the four note tune that has become a sign of rebellion. At first the birds don't do anything, but eventually they whistle back, harmonizing with each other. I begin to sing a song I heard Mr. Everdeen sing whenever he would walk into the bakery. It was called 'The Hanging Tree.' By the time I'm done, Pollux has tears in his eyes. I realize that something must have hurt him in the song.

"Sorry," I say. He shakes his head. He signs something to Castor, who translates it to me. "He said it was fine. And you are actually a really good singer." I shake my head and turn to Cressida. "Cut!" She shouts. Wait she was recording? That wasn't meant for a propo. "That was great Peeta!" She exclaims. I offer a small smile and nod.

We arrive back at District 13 after a few more hours of being in the woods of District 12. Since, I'm so tired, I skip dinner. I walk into my Compartment and find Adela fast asleep on my bed. I smile and kiss her on the forehead. I crawl into the bed above her and fall asleep almost immediately.

I wake up from Adela shaking me. "Peeta! Wake up. Breafast." She says. As soon as she knows I'm awake, she walks out of the room and to the cafeteria. I smile and walk over to the dresser that holds my required clothing. I change into them and put the pearl I gave Katniss into my pocket.

When I finish eating, I walk Adela to her class and go to my required classes. Honestly I don't know what we were talking about. Then dinner comes around. I pick up Adela and we both go to the cafeteria, but before I can enter Boggs stops me. "You're needed at Command." I nod my head and follow Boggs to Command. I'm guessing we are going to watch the District 12 propos.

"Are we going to see the District 12 propos?" I ask. Boggs scratches his neck. "Um, I don't know. Maybe." I nod my head. Boggs and I continue our journey to Command in silence.

I take a seat next to Finnick. We exchange a few greetings, but nothing more than that. "You know that Beetee might have found a way to air the propo in the Capitol."

"Really?" Finnick nods his head. "Yeah, but we have to wait and see." I nod my head and turn toward the large screen. The anthem plays and the seal of Panem appears. Caesar Flickerman appears and his guest is, of course, Katniss. Instead of the normal dress, she wears the clothing she wore for the first games, which I find incredibly odd, but I assume Snow is doing it to break Katniss even more.

She looks even worse than before. I watch as she nervously taps out a beat on the arm rest of her chair. But even worse, is the look in her eyes. They seem even more unfocused. It's like Katniss is there, but she's not _there_.

Caesar asks Katniss to point out every single place there has been damage. She reluctantly agrees and points out all the Districts that have been damaged. Then all of the sudden, Katniss disappears and I replace her. "He broke through!" Plutarch exclaims, but his joy doesn't last long because the Capitol people fight back. Katniss reappears, but she's no longer talking to Caesar, she's watching the screen. Shock is clearly written on her face. Caesar tries to bring Katniss back, but she doesn't say anything. She's just watching the clips of the propos.

"Katniss? Do you have anything to say to Peeta?" At the sound of my name, her eyes harden. I watch her tighten her fists. "You don't know….the damage of this war. How many people in the Districts are going to die?" I can tell that every single word is becoming harder and harder to say. "With this war….nobody is safe. The Capitol residents, the people in the Districts, and you are all in danger. You are in thirteen….and will be dead by morning."

"End it!" Snow demands from off screen. The camera is knocked to the ground and there is a sound of a scuffle. A chair topples over and a few more crashes. I hear the sound of objects hitting a person and those sounds mix with Katniss' cries of pain. All of the sudden there is a whistle of a whip and Katniss' blood splatters across the tiles.

I have to resist the urge to punch the screen. He _is _harming her. She needs to get out as soon as possible. Everyone is shouting over one another. They don't seem to see the message she's sending us. "Everyone shut up!" Gale demands. Anger is clearly displayed in his eyes. "She was warning us!" After he says that, there is an uproar. People ask where she could've gotten the information or if we can even trust her. "Everyone quiet!" Gale orders. "They are beating her as we speak! Peeta! Tell them I'm not lying."

"He's right. We don't know if it's true, but if Katniss believes it, then I do too." Coin slams her fist on a button and alarms sound. "Everyone to the bunker!" She shouts. Everyone rushes out of the room and I follow them. We all go down multiple sets of stairs that go down a long way. How far does District 13 go?

I arrive at the bunker after just a few more minutes. Everyone files to their Compartment number, so I look for Compartment forty eight. It takes me awhile to reach my Compartment because of all the people. I enter the room and see Adela unpacking three bags. She must hear me enter, because her head snaps over. "Peeta!" She exclaims. She rushes to me and gives me a hug. "Oomph," I say, because I may have had a while to practice on the prosthetic, but I'm still not used to it.

"Sorry," She apologizes. She leads me over to the packs and explains what she was doing. Apparently Finnick is staying with us. "Hey, I'll be right back. I have to make sure our roommate knows where our room is." Adela nods her head. I open the door and walk outside. The halls are easier to navigate now since everyone has started to enter their Compartments.

I easily spot Finnick, looking a little lost. "Finnick!" I shout. He looks up at me and I wave him over. "You're bunking with me and Adela." I point him towards the room and he nods. I'm about to follow him, when I hear the sound of footsteps. Someone is still up there.

I whip around and see the guards starting to close the doors. "Stop!" I shout. They don't listen, they just continue to shut them. I jog over as fast as I can. I wedge myself between the doors, forcing them to stop. "Soldier! Move!" One of them demands. I ignore him and wait for the person to come. Or should I say people. Both Gale and Prim come rushing down the stairs. I feel guilty almost immediately. I forgot about Katniss sister.

The guards see them coming and open the doors a little wider. Both Gale and Prim rush through the doors and I follow them down into the bunker. I'm tempted to ask what happened, but both Prim and Gale have disappeared. I guess I'll have to ask them in the morning.

I walk back to my Compartment and see Finnick teaching Adela how to tie knots. I walk over to them and take a seat next to Finnick. "Hey Peeta." Finnick says, not really meaning it. He's too engrossed in tying the knot. "Hey." I reply.

After a few more knots, I stop them. "Alright off to bed." Like the normal eight year old, she refuses. "No." I sigh to myself. If Katniss ever agrees to have kids, well I just hope they aren't as stubborn as her. If they are, well we have a big problem. "If you get into bed, I'll tell you a story."

"Really?" I nod my head. She hops into bed and crawls under the covers. I smile and sit on the edge of her bed. I begin to tell her stories of the possible future. A time that will most likely be happier. Near the end of the story she falls asleep. I smile and kiss her on the forehead.

"You would make a good father." He says. I smile and look to the floor. "Maybe. But I don't know if Katniss would ever want to agree to have kids." Finnick chuckles. "Well good luck getting her to agree. She's as stubborn as they come. Not even the most persuasive person in the world could make her do something." I laugh at Finnick's joke. At much as I hate to admit it, it's true. She is really stubborn.

"Do you think they'll kill her?" I ask Finnick. I hear him sigh. "No. They won't kill her. If he does, well then he doesn't have a weapon against you. You are the rebel's weapon, while Katniss is the Capitol's weapon." I realize that he's right. All of my family is dead. Nobody is in his reach. He can't kill anybody I love. Katniss is his biggest weapon and he knows that. He knows Katniss is my kryptonite. Since he knows that, he can't afford to waste her life. If he continues to make Katniss look weaker and weaker, he knows that I'll eventually break and I won't be able to lead the rebellion anymore.

"Then what will they do?" I ask even though I already know the answer. I just need conformation. "Whatever it takes to break you."

* * *

><p>How much more strength do I have? How much longer can I go on? Now that I know how Snow is using Katniss, I don't think it's going to be much longer until I break.<p>

Even after four days, bombs continue to fall. During this time, images of Katniss being beaten are in my head. I try and distract myself, but somehow the images always manage to come back. Every few hours, Adela begs for another story. I always agree because it distracts me for a while. I don't know why she likes them so much. They always end the same way. A happy ending.

Finally after a few more hours, we can finally leave the bunker. When we are able to leave, Finnick and I are almost immediately directed to Command. Or something that looks like an exact replica of Command. "We need to get footage of the damage." Coin looks at me, Finnick, Haymitch, Boggs, and my camera crew. "You have two hours to get the best footage you can. Make sure you show the damage of the Capitol bombs. Questions?"

"Can we all get some coffee?" Finnick asks. I look over and see that Finnick has dark circles under his eyes. Soon enough there are cups of hot liquid being handed out. I've had coffee a few times, but I never really liked the taste.

Finnick holds a sugar cube in front of me. "Want a sugar cube?" He asks. I almost burst out laughing. The look on Katniss' face was hysterical. She looked extremely awkward and uncomfortable. He plops a few into my cup. "It helps the taste a lot." I smile and take a sip of the coffee. He's right it does help it.

After a few more sips of coffee, I decide I'm done. I'm becoming a little too hyper. And it's a good thing to because we are already sent up to the top. We walk up a ladder and when we reach the top, Boggs opens a trap door. He climbs out and everyone follows him. It must be late August or early September because the leaves are just starting to turn.

"How much of a lead did Katniss give you?" Gale and I ask. "Um, about ten minutes before our systems would've caught it. She saved a lot of lives." Boggs leads us all to the destroyed justice building. "Sit on the marble pillar." Cressida orders. I nod and take a seat. "You do is talk about how you are alive and so is all of District 13. Okay?" I nod and take a deep breath. I try and speak, but no words can come out. I take another breath and try again. Once again nothing.

I can't do this anymore. I can't. Not when I know Katniss is with Snow. Now I realize that whatever I do, Snow will take it out on Katniss. "I-I can't. Not anymore." I whisper. "What's the matter Peeta?" Cressida asks. "He figured out how Snow is using Katniss." Finnick explains. Everyone sighs. They're weapon can no longer work.

"Peeta," Haymitch begins, but I cut him off. "There is no need to try and make light of the situation Haymitch. I already know." Haymitch sighs and sits next to me. "Relax Lover Boy. We'll get her out."

"Did you see her? She was acting different. She was there in the room, but she wasn't _there_. What are they doing to her?" I ask, tears falling freely. I try and hide them, but I'm not fooling anyone. Apparently I went hysterical and they ended up knocking me out. It was strong too because I wake up almost a day later.

"They're going to get her out." Haymitch says as soon as I wake up. "What? Why now?" I ask. Haymitch sighs. "It's very costly Peeta. At least Plutarch knows some people on the inside, they'll make the job a little easier. But people will still lose their lives. Besides, we're going to get Johanna and Annie out."

"Who is leading it?"

"Boggs is on top of it. Actually it was volunteer only. I tried to go, but he acted like I wasn't there. Good judgment on his part." I look at him curiously. "Who volunteered?" He scratches the back of his neck. "Seven all together."

"Who else?" I press. He sighs. "You know the answer Peeta." I do. Gale.

* * *

><p>I sit in my Compartment, anxiously waiting for their return. Apparently Finnick is helping by revealing secrets about a bunch of people. Especially Snow.<p>

Soon I can't stand sitting anymore. I begin to pace the room like a mad person. When will they be back? Did they even make it out alive? Are they here and nobody is telling me? I take a seat on my bed again. Finnick joins me a minute later. "I ran out of secrets, now we can only wait."

Finnick and I talk, trying to keep our minds off of the rescue. Soon we become impatient. "I can't stay here anymore!" I exclaim. I walk over to the door and am about to open it when Haymitch steps through. "They're back." Finnick and I share a look. We both bolt down to the hospital. People send us strange looks, but we ignore them.

We arrive at the hospital after a few more minutes of running. We slow to a jog and eventually just walk. We enter the Hospital together. As soon as we do, I hear a young woman. "Finnick!" She shouts. Finnick grins widely. "Annie!" He runs up to meet her. They meet directly in the middle. Finnick picks Annie up and spins her around. He sets her down after a minute and brings her in for a sweet kiss.

"Katniss is down there." Boggs says pointing to a room down the hall. "Thank you." I say, looking over. He has a few cuts and scrapes, but nothing life threatening. I rush down the hallway and soon enough Katniss comes into view. She's already awake. She seems to have woken up a while ago because she's already glaring at the doctors. They are checking her pulse and asking how she is, yet she refuses to answer. I laugh to myself. That's my Katniss.

"Well don't just stand there. Move." Haymitch says, snapping me out my thoughts. I grin and nod my head. I have to keep myself from running to her. "Katniss!" I shout. Her head turns to me. She's alive and out of Snow's hands. She may not be well, but at least Snow can't hurt her.

Her eyes reflect shock and confusion. There is something else there, but I can't identify it. She pushes the doctors aside and walks up to me. Slowly and I walk up to her so she won't have to do it all. She's probably still weak from the Capitol. I raise my arms to pull her into a hug. I'm about to say her name, but before I can, her fist connects to my jaw.

**AN: Question of the Chapter:**

**What was song was played at the end of the Mockingjay movie? (Hint: Lorde sang it) **


	6. Chapter 6

**Congratulations to TheWelshWhale, Percy-Jackson-is-the-best-ever, Everlarkmakorraforever, and lauraisabookworm. Chapter dedicated to you guys. And everyone else that answered, congratulations to everyone that answered correctly**

**Percy-Jackson-is-the-best-ever: Your review had me laughing! I don't know why but it was really funny! Maybe it was the ending! xD And well, the Peeta thing….that was just depressing. Why do authors have to do this to us? They just love to play with the readers emotions.**

**Guest: Well, I guess punching is better! But let's hope that's all Katniss does…..**

**Godiva9: Haha! I know, buuut I didn't want him to be choked….right away. *whispering* I've said too much. *normal voice* Anyway I'm glad you liked the chapter! **

**Honeylove90: To answer your question, yes. Katniss did wear a neck brace in the book. And a twist!? Oh no. I can't wait to see what happens!**

**Answer of the last chapter: It was Yellow Flicker Beat! Darn! I thought that one would get you, but I guess not.  
>Question of the Chapter: When did Katniss learn the forbidden song? And what is the forbidden song?<strong>

I stumble back, partially from shock and partially because it hurt. "Okay. I know you're mad, so why don't we-oomph!" Before I can finish my sentence, Katniss knocks me to the ground. She pins me to the ground and I make no move to throw her off. "Well, I don't know what to say. I'm guessing that's a first." I laugh at my joke and I expect Katniss to do the same, except she just glares down at me. She's mad, no more like furious, at me for something I did.

"Katniss. Why don't you just tell me what I di-" I begin, but I stop myself. The look in Katniss gives me is absolutely murderous. I look over to Haymitch and see him looking a little amused. I think he finds me being nervous and speechless very entertaining. I look back to Katniss and realize that she's moved her hands from my shoulders to closer to my neck. I grin at her. Now this is more of the moment I imagined. We both would kiss and forget everyone and everything around us.

I wrap my arms around Katniss waist and lean forward. Her hands move closer to my neck, but instead of doing it carefully like I expected, she holds it tightly. She's choking me.

I flip us over, so I end up on top of her. "Katniss? What are you doing?" She struggles from under me, but she must realize that she won't get out because she freezes. I start to relax, but that was a bad idea. She bangs her head against mine and let's just say that doesn't help my fading headaches.

I stumble back and she takes the chance to attack me again. Her hands wrap around my throat and I can't do anything about it this time. My pounding head only makes this worse. All of the sudden, Katniss is pulled from me. I take a few deep breaths and look up. I see Boggs holding Katniss by the waist. She's trying to break his hold, but it's too strong. He nods toward the door, but I shake my head. I don't want to leave even though she tried to kill me.

"Out Peeta." He demands. I frown and I'm about to shake my head, when I feel an arm grab me from behind. "Let's go Lover Boy." Haymitch says dragging me out of the hospital. He drags me to a secluded room where no one will be able to hear us. "Throat?"

"Fine. Now tell me what happened in there?" I demand hoarsely. Haymitch shakes his head. "Not yet. Let's get you to a doctor." I cross my arms and shake my head. "Not until you tell me what happened." Haymitch groans and glares at me. "Listen here Peeta. I don't know. That's why I want to go the hospital. Beetee might be able to tell us." He walks out and expects me to follow him. When I don't, he turns around and drags me to the hospital. He pushes me onto a chair and holds his hand up. "Stay." He demands. I frown at him, but follow his orders. I want to know what happened to Katniss. I sit there for a few minutes, just thinking about Katniss, when a familiar voice snaps me out of my thoughts.

"Ah. Mr. Mellark. Let me take a look at your throat." A doctor says. He motions for me to open my mouth and I do so. He shines the light down and looks for a few minutes. "Well, nothing bad. Most likely just some hoarseness. You can speak, but I don't recommend it. If you refrain from speaking a lot, your throat is more likely to heal." I nod my head and look to the ground.

I sit in the chair waiting for Haymitch to return. He does and he has Beetee, but he also has Gale. I nod at all of them. They look at me a little confused. I point at my throat and shake my head. Haymitch smirks at me. "Bread Boy lost his voice?" He laughs, but he quickly turns serious. "Beetee is here to explain what happened."

"Well Peeta, as we all know it was obvious to us about Katniss' physical condition. I'm sure we all knew she was being…..abused. Although we failed to take into account her mental condition. At first we assumed it was because of the Capitol….abusing her, but after digging a little deeper, we discovered something more. The Capitol was subjecting her to a form of fear torturing called 'hijacking.' I can't tell the specifics because they kept this form of torture a secret. It's assumed they use the tracker jacker venom. Peeta you were stung in your first games. So you must know what it's like." I nod my head. It was horrible. I saw my worst memories and all my greatest fears throughout the entire time I was unconscious.

"Having the person recall the memory is difficult because it could've been changed and saved in a revised form. Now, say I bring a memory to the forefront of your mind, either verbally or visually, and I injected a little tracker jacker venom while it was refreshed. Not enough to knock you out for three days, but enough to make you doubt and fear the memory. The altered memory is then put into long term storage." I frown at him. I want to ask him a question, but I can't. I just sit there mutely, hoping that someone will ask it for me.

"So that's what happened with Katniss? They altered her memories of Peeta?" Gale asks. Beetee nods his head. "Yes. They altered it so much that Katniss now sees Peeta as life threatening." Fear begins to build up inside of me. Katniss had to suffer through this?

"Is it possible for it to be reversed?" Haymitch asks, putting a comforting hand on my shoulder. "There isn't much data on that. Even if hijacking rehabilitation was attempted, we wouldn't have access to the records."

"Are you going to try?" Haymitch asks tightening his grip on my shoulder. "Yes, but the concussion Johanna may have given Katniss might slow the rehabilitation." I look at Beetee confused. Concussion? Haymitch must notice my confusion. "Um, Johanna knocked Katniss out with the coil of wire. She had to do that because she wanted to take Katniss' tracker out." He explains. I nod my head in response. This is a lot to take in, but I have to be strong.

"Also the fact that we remember fear the most makes those types of memories the hardest to root out. We don't know what other memories have been tampered with. We're putting together a team of mental and health military professionals. But, honestly, she might get somewhat better, but I don't think she'll be the same ever again." Beetee continues. I look down at my hands. 'Never the same.' Those words enter my mind and float around.

* * *

><p>Gale and I were ordered to the hospital. They wanted to try something new. After four days of Katniss being here, they finally came up with something. "Alright Gale. We're going to see if you can jog any memories without triggering an attack. We would try her sister, but Katniss refuses. She's afraid she might hurt her. Oh and don't mention Peeta at all." Katniss is still protecting her sister. Maybe she still is there.<p>

"Okay." Gale says. He opens the door, slightly nervous. "You can watch through the one way glass." The doctor nods to the glass. I nod my head and walk to it. I see Katniss staring at the door as Gale walks in. "Hey Catnip." He greets with a small smile. Katniss offers one in return. "Hey Gale." He grabs a metal chair and puts in front of Katniss. "Where are we?" She asks, staring directly at him.

"We're in District 13. We have to live here now." Gale explains while scratching the back of his neck. "Why?"

"There was an….accident." He says. "Do you remember all those hunting days? The ones we spent out in the woods by the lake." Katniss nods her head. "Yeah. The rock we would sit on and it would overlook the valley. What do you mean by an accident?"

"Um it was a bad one. Nobody was allowed to stay. But I think you are going to like it here. Nobody goes hungry."

"How many people made it out?"

"About eight hundred. Including your family and mine."

"There was a fire? Am I right?" She asks suddenly. Gale nods his head.

"It was because of Peeta right?" She scowls at Gale and tries to get out of the restraints that hold her down. Gale puts his hand on her shoulder. "We both know it wasn't him." If possible, her scowl deepens. "Did he tell you that? You can't believe anything he says Gale. He's a mutt created by the Capitol." Gale shakes his head and tries to say something, but Katniss stops him.

"Don't even try to defend him. We both know what he really is. Even if you don't, you can't trust anything he says." The door opens, stopping Katniss from speaking anymore. Gale puts the chair back and walks backward to the door. "Don't believe the memories Katniss. I'll see you soon." He walks out the door and shuts it behind him.

I watch as Katniss sits there pondering his words. "Do you want to leave?" Haymitch asks me. I shake my head. I lost Katniss once and I don't want that to happen again. "No. I'm going to stay here. With Katniss."


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games. All rights go to Suzanne Collins. All of this work is purely fan made and no profit is being made. **

Days pass by and there is no improvement in her condition. I watch her through the one way glass. Some days she is calm, others she freaks out on everyone. Every now and then, Finnick talks to Katniss trying to convince her that I'm not a mutt. But since he's not there often, it doesn't seem that there will be much of an improvement. I'm hoping it'll help though!

"Mr. Mellark? Are there any possible memories that you and Katniss have shared that haven't been tampered with?" A doctor asks. I shake my head. Every single moment has been televised and the moments that haven't been televised, well they aren't the best. Unless you count the bread. The bread. "Actually yes."

"Really? Do you mind telling-" he begins, but I ignore him. I push past him and jog toward Katniss room. "You can't go in there!" He shouts running toward me. I try my best to ignore him. I push open her door and rush in, slamming the door shut behind me.

When the door is slammed shut, Katniss' eyes snap over to me. They show fear, uncertainty, but also anger. I don't want her to be scared of me, ever. "What do you want?" She asks me harshly. I have to resist the urge to flinch. I've never really been on the other side of her harsh words. Maybe once, but that was a long time ago. "Do you remember the bread?" I blurt out. Her eyes go from fearful to confused. "Yes. I…remember that. It saved my family from starvation." She says, muttering the last part. Happiness begins to build inside of me. Maybe she is improving. "Yes. I wanted to talk to you after that, but I never built up enough courage to talk to you." I say, but then I realize those are the words I said in the Games. Oh shoot. Whatever progress was made, I might have just destroyed it.

"Out." She says, but it's not harsh or scared. It's more like emotionless. "Alright. I'll be back-" I'm about to say soon, but I don't know if I'll ever be allowed back into the hospital after this stunt I pulled. I walk backwards toward the door and the entire time, Katniss watches me. As soon as I have my hand on the door knob, the door is yanked open and I'm pulled out of the room. "What were you _thinking_!?" Haymitch growls. Anger is clearly visible in his eyes.

"I-I just remembered something that Katniss and I shared. And it was a memory that wasn't tampered by the Capitol." I mutter. "She really doesn't deserve you." Haymitch spins on his heel and walks out. I look over my shoulder and see Katniss glaring at the one way glass. It's almost as if she knows that I'm still here. "You'll get better Katniss. I promise. I'll make sure of it. I won't stop trying until the day I die." I keep promising myself that over and over again. People shoot me strange looks, but don't say anything. I smile inwardly. Maybe they are getting used to my incessant muttering.

"My boy Peeta! How are you doing!?" Finnick throws his arm around my shoulder and gives me a grin. I offer a small smile, but it's forced. "Fine. How are you and Annie?" He blushes a deep scarlet. "Wow. Finnick Odair is _blushing_!? My mind has just been blown." I joke forcefully. _Act happy. Act happy so he doesn't ask about Katniss. _He gives me a playful scowl and slaps me on the shoulder.

His face turns serious. "But really. How are you doing?" I sigh, letting my shoulders fall. I face the ground and shuffle my feet. "Not the best. Just worried about Katniss. That's all. How is talking to her going?" I ask, even though I've listened in on every single conversation they've had. Finnick's face goes from serious to sad. "Not the best. She still won't trust me. They're thinking about sending her sister or Johanna in instead of me." I numbly nod my head. I really just want to see Katniss again, but like I said before, I don't think I'll be allowed back.

"I'll see you later Finnick." I shrug off his arm and walk back to the Compartment. Adela won't be back until later, so I'm going to be alone. Once again I'm sent strange looks, but I could care less. It doesn't matter to me. All that matters, all that's ever mattered, to me is Katniss.

As soon as I get into my Compartment, I collapse into my unmade bed. I stare at the bed above me. I don't think of much, just happier times. A world without the war that is going on far away from District Thirteen. "Peeta?" A familiar voice asks. It's a voice I haven't heard in a while. "Prim?" I ask slowly. She nods her head and takes a seat on the edge of my bed. She looks troubled. At first I'm confused, but then I realize why. Katniss.

"Have you seen her yet?" I ask. She nods her head. "Yes. I actually just came from there." I nod my head, waiting for her to continue. "I talked to her Peeta." My eyes light up and I look at Prim intently. "What'd she say?" She shakes her head and stares at her hands. "Nothing much. I was warned to not mention you. But it somehow came to you. Well your family. She asked me…." Prim says, trailing off. "Never mind. You're needed in Command." She stands up and walks toward the door.

"What'd she say?" I ask. I want to know what she said about my family. I wouldn't care if it was bad, I just want to know. "It's nothing bad. Unimportant really." She leaves without saying another word. I sigh and throw my head against my pillow. Why are they keeping this from me? They never cared before. Why now?

I'll figure it out on my way to Command. I pull myself into a sitting position. I quickly slide off my bed and walk out of my empty Compartment.

* * *

><p>"Peeta, nice of you to join us. Let me get straight to the point. We want you to go to District 2." I frown at Coin. I remember saying I didn't want to go. "No. I'm staying here." I cross my arms and watch for Coin's reaction. "You <em>will <em>go to District 2. You _will _follow _my_ orders. Or else, the deal is off! Katniss and the other victors will _lose _their immunity."

She has me there. I promised that I would follow all orders and I agreed to the consequences. "What do I have to do?" I ask with a sigh. Coin gives me a smug smile. "Just go to District 2. You'll find out what you have to do when you get there."

"Fine. But I have one condition. I'm only there for five days. No more, no less. Deal?" Coin stands there, pondering my words. She takes my hand in hers. "Deal." She gives it a firm shake and ushers me out of the room. She wants me to Two as soon as possible. I knew she wanted me there soon, but not _this_ soon.

As soon as I'm finished getting ready, I'm ushered onto the hovercraft that will take me to Two. I try and keep my thoughts away from Katniss, but somehow they end up ending back to her. This is going to be a painful five days if I keep thinking about her.

**AN: Thank you to all my reviewers! I always love reading your reviews. They mean a lot. **

**And I'm sorry for the short chapter. It's more of a filler chapter. Anyway how was it? Good? Bad? Moderate? **

**Congratulations to AnimashLover101, Hanna Marin1234, Keira Higurashi9, and Everlarkmakorraforever! The answer was 'The Hanging Tree!' And she did learn it as a young girl. Chapter dedicated to you guys. **

**Question: This is more of a question of opinion. For the people that have watched or read the Divergent Trilogy. Katniss or Tris? Hunger Games or Divergent? Such a hard decision. "Choose wisely because you don't get to choose again." xD. See what I did there?**

**Godiva9: Haha! I know. I have to admit I was laughing a little when I wrote that. And yes. Poor Peeta! I had to make him a little clueless…He wouldn't have expected Katniss to-ah-try and kill him.**

**TheFoxfacedGirl: I'm glad you liked the story! I'm so happy you do!**

**Keira Higurashi9: Haha! Thanks! I'm glad you liked the last chapter!**

**Everlarkmakorraforever: I had to make him stay! He's not the kind of person to run away from Katniss. Especially when he found out what happened to Katniss. **

**Finally, I'm contemplating whether or not to do a Katniss P.O.V. Shall I do one? **


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games. All rights belong to Suzanne Collins. All of this work is purely fan made and no profit is being made from it. **

Katniss P.O.V

Doctors are constantly around me. They ask how I feel and what I'm thinking. Most of the time, I just ignore them and when I can't I give a sarcastic reply. The only time they have my undivided attention is when they mention _him. _The Capitol mutt. Peeta. He was sent out to get close to me so he can kill anyone important to me.

"So Miss Everdeen, how are you today?" My current doctor asks. I stare at him blankly. This is the exact same question he asked me two minutes ago. When he realizes he won't get an answer, he moves onto the next question. "Peeta mentioned something about bread?" He asks carefully. I'm about to demand that he leaves, when his words register. "Yes?" I say, somewhat uncertainly. "Can you tell me what you remember?"

"He saved my family from starvation." I reply shortly. This is a personal thing. He doesn't need to know what happened between me and the mutt. "Can you tell me more?" He presses. I stare at him again. That's all the information he needs to know. He frowns at me, but moves on. "I'm going to show you clip. It's just a few minutes, but I want to know what you think when it's over." He rolls in a screen and presses play.

Peeta and many other people are by the lake in the District 12 woods. How'd they find out about that? It was a place I didn't tell anyone except….Gale. He knows how important it was to me, yet he shared it anyway.

He-it?-stands up and whistles the familiar tune. Rue's four note tune. The one that meant she was safe, but I was stupid to think she could be safe. In the Games, you're never safe. The Gamemakers and Tributes are always after you. The Tributes want to survive and get back to their families, while the Gamemakers just want a good show. They don't care for a tribute's life.

The mockingjays whistle back, harmonizing. Soon after the mutt sings a familiar tune. The song that was banned by my mother. A song that my father would always sing. How does he know this song? For all I know, my father never sang it in front of him.

As soon as the video ends, the doctor walks back in. "What did you think?" He asks, turning off the television. "I know the song. How'd he know it?" I ask, even though I already have my own suspicions. The doctor shrugs. "I can't answer that. How did the video make you feel?"

"What are you? A psychologist or a doctor?" He sends me an amused look. He looks like he's fighting off a laugh. "Okay." He says a little shakily. "I'll leave you alone for now." He walks out the door leaving me alone again.

After seeing the video, I'm extremely confused. The question is still on my mind; how did the mutt know the song?

* * *

><p>When they think I'm asleep they all begin talking about an accident that happened to the mutt. Apparently he went to District Two, attacked the 'nut' as thy call it, and ended up being shot on television. Part of me feels indifferent. He is just another Capitol mutt. It-he-isn't human. Although, a different part of me is concerned. It's worried if it is okay and alive. The worried side shocks me. Why should I be worried about something that isn't human?<p>

The real question is, which side do I trust? The indifferent side or the worried side?

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Katniss P.O.V was extremely hard to write! I've gotten so used to writing Peeta's! I hope her P.O.V wasn't that bad! As for my previous question: Divergent wasn't that bad. I read the books and they were good. Same for the movie, but honestly I have a hard time deciding. I don't know which one I liked better. Maybe the Hunger Games. <strong>

**Everlarkmakorraforever: Haha! Hunger Games was really good! I'm glad you liked the last chapter!**

**Guest: Yes, the last chapter was a little depressing. I feel kind of bad for doing that to Peeta.**

**Honeylove90: Here is a Katniss P.O.V! I hoped you liked it! And I can see why you didn't like Divergent. It did start off slow. And thank you! I really appreciate the shout out for this story! That means so much! I'll give you a shout out too!**

**Lya200: I'm so glad this role reversal is interesting! Katniss P.O.V! I hope you liked the P.O.V! And as for Adela, well you just have to wait and see.**

**TheFoxedFacedGirl: I'm so glad you love this story! That means a lot when you said that! And as for Divergent or Hunger Games, I can see where you're coming from. The Hunger Games, was interesting, but not many people can relate to Tris and much as they can Katniss. I have a lot of fun writing in Peeta's P.O.V. I mean we all know how Katniss thinks, but what about Peeta? **

**Keira Higurashi9: I'm glad you liked the chapter! I hope this chapter was as good as the last!**

**Guest: Awww. Thank you! Glad you thought the last chapter was amazing!**

**Fangirldisaster: Update here! Hoped you liked it! And I'm super glad you like the story!**

**Aubreylovesthegames: Haha xD! Well talk about a coincidence! As I said before, I can't decide either! I know the Mockingjay movie topped Divergent and the first movie, but for the books? At least Suzanne Collins gave Katniss a happy ending! In the Divergent Trilogy she killed an important character in the story! When I read it, I had to reread it four more times just to be sure I read it right. After that I was just in shock and was sad for like two days. Maybe more! And did you see the Insurgent trailer yet!? It looks so good, but I just hope it looks more realistic than it did in the trailer! **

** 221B: Aww thanks! I;m glad you like this! I'll try to go more in depth in the next chapter!**

**Okay so, thank you to all the reviews, follows, favorites! I love reading them! They mean a lot to me! If you guys have any stories you want me to read, I'll be happy to! I might even review! And finally, check out honeylove90! There is a story called 'Lost Love!' It's a really good fanfiction! **

**Finally: Sorry for the long Author's note! Question: What would you do if Peeta never got back together with Katniss? They remained friends, but never got back together? **


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games. All rights belong to Suzanne Collins. All of this work is purely fan made and no profit is being made from it. **

I wake up to the feeling of a sharp pain. I move my hand to my side, which sends a sharp pain through my body. I try to muffle a groan, but I end up failing. What happened? I don't remember anything after being shot. I was shot.

"Well look who's awake." A familiar voice says. I look to my left and see a bald Johanna sitting on her hospital bed. "Johanna?" I ask. I just need conformation because, honestly, she doesn't look like Johanna. _Katniss isn't the same either. _I try and ignore the little voice in my head, but it has a good point. She isn't the same. But I'm hoping she'll get better. I _want_ her to get better. I should've been the one hijacked. Not her. I want her pain and confusion to be taken away.

"The one and only." Johanna says while rolling her eyes. "What happened?" I ask. She looks at me with fake confusion. "You or me? We're both messed up really bad." She says seriously. I sigh and put my head on the pillow. "Too soon? Anyway, you were shot in District Two." She says bluntly. I feel a smile creep its way onto my lips. Same old Johanna.

"Thanks for the honesty." I reply a little sarcastically. The fact I'm sarcastic shocks me. Johanna must feel the same because she shoots me a surprised look. "I expect sarcasm from brain-er Katniss. But you? You're Peeta Mellark. One of the kindest people in all of Panem." I chuckle. "I guess I'm tired or worried. Or both."

"She's getting better Peeta. Trust me. I've talked to her."

"I hope so. I couldn't live with myself if she never healed and it was my fault. I could've protected her better." Johanna rolls her eyes. "Sometimes you're too in love with her." I chuckle. Partly because it's true and partly because of insanity.

Johanna stands up and unhooks a needle from my arm and hooks it into hers. "Hope you don't mind. They cut off my morphling supply a few weeks ago. I've been taking some of yours. Do you mind?" She asks, but she already knows the answer. I can't deny her the morphling.

She sits there, filling me in on Katniss' condition. It seemed to improve a little, so that's a plus. "She saw you sing a song. I think it was 'The Hanging Tree.' She's still confused about how you knew it though." I don't know how I should feel. Happy that she didn't freak out when she saw me or upset because she's confused. I think I'll go with the first option.

After a few minutes of talking, the door opens. Johanna quickly unhooks the needle and places it back into mine. Boggs appears in front of me. "Afternoon Soldier Mellark." I nod my head back at him. "I thought I should bring you an update. We have District Two now. All Districts are rebelling." I should be worried and upset. I really should. But no emotion like that comes. I actually don't feel anything, just emptiness.

Boggs sighs. "I also bring an update on Katniss-" At the sound of her name, I perk up. "She's gotten worse." Whatever I feel disappears and the emptiness is back. "How?" I ask dejectedly. "She saw a clip that the Capitol apparently altered. Don't worry, she didn't hurt herself or anybody. We sedated her. She's been asleep for a few hours. I'll let you see her, but you can't tell anybody." I nod my head eagerly. I thought I wouldn't be able to see her again, yet Boggs is breaking the rules and allowing me to see her.

* * *

><p>He leads me into the other side of the hospital slowly. I don't like how long it's taking. Every extra sentence we spend walking, is seconds I'm not with Katniss. "Take it easy Peeta. You're not even supposed to be walking." Boggs says grabbing my arm. I repress a sigh. "Alright." I slow down to a walk that resembles a shuffle.<p>

When we arrive at the hospital, Boggs points to the one way glass. I nod and shuffle toward her isolated room. I put my hand against the glass and rest my head against it. When she's asleep she looks almost normal. Almost like the old Katniss. _Almost. _

"She shouldn't going to wake up for a couple more hours. I think you can go in and see her." Boggs whispers from behind. I jump and turn around. "Won't you get in trouble?" He waves me off with his hand. "No. As long as you keep this between us. Besides the doctors aren't here either. They're taking a break." I nod my head and walk to the door of Katniss' room.

I walk inside and take a seat next to her. "Hey Katniss." I whisper even though she can't hear me. I grab her limp hand and take it in mine. "I miss you. I don't have many people to talk to anymore. There's Finnick, but he's too busy with Annie. Then there's Johanna, but she scares me a little. Please don't tell anyone I said that. Haymitch isn't around because he's trying to forget alcohol. Imagine that. Haymitch is sober." She shifts, but doesn't wake up. I release a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"Anyway, I miss being with you. I don't want to lose you too. I love you Katniss Everdeen. I'm _in love_ with you and I will never fall out of it. I know I told you this before, but I've loved you for years. Always admiring you from afar because I was too scared to talk to you." I sigh. Why am I confessing all of this? She's not even awake to hear me.

"It should've been me. Not you. I should be the one-" I'm interrupted by the door opening. I drop Katniss' hand and turn toward the door. "Uh…Soldier Mellark? We have to head back to the other side of the hospital." Boggs is looking a little uncomfortable and awkward. I nod my head and rise from the chair. "See you soon."

* * *

><p>"Peeta?" Finnick asks sitting beside me. I look up from my food and turn to him. "I know this is a lot to ask, but would you mind making my wedding cake?" He asks, scratching the back of his neck. "Whoa. Hold up. You're finally getting married?" He perks up and nods his head eagerly.<p>

"Alright sure." I just want to get my mind off Katniss. Anything to get my mind off her. Finnick throws his hands up in triumph. "Great! And-uh-I know this is a lot to ask, but do you have a suit I could borrow? And a dress for Annie. She didn't like the ones District Thirteen had to offer. You don't-" I wave him off.

"Don't worry about it. And yeah I do. Back in Twelve. If you want to go there, I'll go with you." He smiles at me. "Thanks Peeta. This is a lot to ask, but I want to make her wedding memorable." I nod my head. I wish Katniss and I could've gotten married like this. Ours was forced upon us.

We get permission from Coin to go back to District Twelve. When Finnick and Annie see District Twelve, their faces fall. I can see where they're coming from. This is my third time here and I'm still in shock. "Come on. I'll show you my house." I lead them throw the rubble of District Twelve. We pass bodies of people I can't identify.

I can't help, but wonder where my family is. Are they among the dead in the streets? Or are they still in the rubble of the bakery? I shouldn't be thinking of this now. This is Annie and Finnick's day.

"Here we are. I'll show you where my suits are, then I can show Annie, Katniss' dresses." I look to Finnick who nods his head.

I lead both Annie and Finnick inside my house. Somehow it still seems to smell like warm bread. I don't even know how that is possible. I point Finnick toward the closet holding all the suits I wore on the Victory Tour. "Whichever one you want. You can choose whatever." Finnick smiles and nods. He looks to Annie who is still holding onto his hand.

"You can go with Peeta, okay?" She shakes her head. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you. I promise." I say, trying to calm her down. She looks over to me. "That's exactly what they said to Katniss and Johanna." She whispers the whole sentence under her breath. I frown. _Breathe Peeta. Breathe. Don't get mad. Don't get mad. _I keep the mantra going in my head.

"You can trust him Annie. I do." Finnick looks to Annie reassuringly. "Okay." Annie walks over to me and I smile. I lead her to Katniss old house that is directly across from mine. Why am I thinking of this now? I shake my head and open the door. I lead Annie up the stairs and to Katniss' closet. As soon as I open the door, Annie gasps with surprise.

She points to a long green dress. I smile and pull it out. "She wore this in District Four." Annie nods her head. "I remember. I loved this dress." She rubs the fabric in between her fingers. "You can wear it." She smiles wider. She looks at me, just to be sure. I nod my head. She takes it from my hands and walks into Katniss' room to try on the dress.

She comes out ten minutes later, with a smile on her face. "I love it."

"Take it. It's yours."

* * *

><p>I can't believe Katniss actually asked to see me. I never thought she would. I always hoped she would, but I never thought she actually would. I walk through the dim District Thirteen hallways. I try to slow down, but I feet won't listen. I am practically sprinting toward the hospital.<p>

When I get there, Gale is already walking out. I try and ignore the jealousy I feel, but it's kind of hard. "Hey Gale." I say, trying to make an effort for Katniss. I can tell that he's trying to do the same. "Peeta." He walks past me and out the door without another word. This is hard for him, I can tell.

I grin and walk toward the door, but as soon as I walk in, I feel nervous. What do I say to a girl that I love, but she hates me? "Uh-Hey." Smooth. First thing I say comes out a stammer. He grey eyes lock on me and follow me as I walk closer. Instead of not having restraints, she has one around her waist and one on each arm. There is a needle in her arm that leads to a drug that could knock her out.

"Hey," She responds warily. She stares intently at me. Under her stare, I shift uncomfortably. It's as if she is waiting for me to become a human hybrid. "I heard you wanted to talk to me."

"First I wanted to look at you." She stares at me for a few more minutes. "You're a big guy, but scared to hurt people? But you kill people anyway? It doesn't make much sense to me." I crack a smile.

"I never wanted to. I-I had to."

"You tried to kill me. You joined the Careers in the 74th Hunger Games," she points out. I shake my head. "No. No. I didn't try and kill-" I begin, but she cuts me off. "You ran after me with the Careers, and trapped me in a tree."

"It was a plan Katniss!" She flinches when I shout. I've never seen her so vulnerable or frightened. It tears me apart knowing I'm causing this. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. But it was part of a bigger plan. I did it to protect you."

She frowns at me. "But you killed that one girl. I think she was from District 7. She didn't even hurt you, yet you killed her?" I feel a stab of pain. She saw that? I never wanted her to see that side of me. I don't want her to view me as a heartless murderer. "I was forced. I had to play the part."

"I'm not an idiot. All of these memories are untouched by the Capitol. I don't know how I know, it's just a feeling." I shake my head. Katniss has seen a side of me I never intended to be seen. "I'm sorry." I take a step toward her, but she flinches again. I step back towards the door. "I won't hurt you."

Haymitch tries to tell me something, but I don't hear him. I'm only focused on Katniss' look of disbelief. "I've been told that before." I sigh and look to the ground. "I know about the song, but what I don't know is how you knew it."

"Your father sang it when I was a kid." I try to explain it carefully. I don't want to scare her. "Oh."

"Yeah. I listened especially because whenever he would sing, even the birds would stop to listen." I walk over to Katniss who shifts nervously. I stop in my tracks. For a few minutes nobody says anything.

"Did you love me?" She asks suddenly. I nod my head. "Yes. Ever since I was five, I had a crush on you."

"And did I love you?" I shrug my shoulders. "You acted like you did, but I was never sure if you did. I mean-maybe-I don't know." Katniss chuckles a little.

"Lost your ability with words?" She looks at me with her eyebrows raised. I feel my cheeks heat up a little. "Yes. I should go. I don't want to keep you from sleep." I can't stand to see her like this. Every time I see her, it just reminds me that it's my fault.

I'm almost toward the door, when Katniss stops me. "I saw the first games." I freeze and look at her inquisitively. "After seeing that, I wasn't sure what or who, you were. We kissed a lot in those Games, didn't we?" I nod my head.

"Did you like it?" She asks carefully. I nod my head. "Yes I did, but I don't know if you did. Sometimes it seemed like you did, others…..I don't know. I'm sorry Katniss, I should go." I don't want to see this anymore. I thought I wanted to talk to her, but not like this. She still scared and uncertain. I don't want to cause this. She nods her head.

I walk out, thinking about our conversation. Katniss saw me as a murderer. A killer. Is that what I am now? A murderer?

**AN: Thank you for all the reviews, favorites and follows. I appreciate all of them so much!**

**Everlarkmakorraforever: I think a lot of people would cry. It would be a really depressing ending if they never got back together. And thanks! I thought Katniss' P.O.V was hard to get right. **

**Guest: I'm so happy you like this story! I'm so happy that you are hooked! Haha! Hope you liked the update!**

**Keira Higurashi9: Haha! Many people would be willing to date Peeta if he didn't get back together with Katniss! And I'm glad that you liked the last chapter! As I said before, it was hard to write! And I wish Peeta's side was done! Well, we'll just have to stick to reading fanfictions from Peeta's P.O.V**

**Answer of the chapter: I don't know what I would do. Cry? Throw the book across the room? I think I would cry, the end up dropping the book. Books are meant to be respected. You do not throw a book. EVER! Just kidding! **

**Question of the Chapter: Name your theHunger Games movies from best to worst. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games. All rights belong to Suzanne Collins. All of this work is purely fan made and no profit is being made from it. **

I sit in the cafeteria after my training. Honestly, I never wanted to train, but Coin threatened to send Katniss to the Capitol if I didn't train. To keep Katniss safe, I agreed. I train to become someone I'm not, yet that person is the one I'm forced to be.

In training we learn to assemble guns, run a five miles-which as difficult until I received some painful treatment for my ribs-, and learn to shoot a gun. Only one of the three days were difficult. The second day was difficult because Johanna couldn't go into the rain. I tried to ask her about it, but she ignored me.

Finnick, Annie and Adela all sit at a table together. Finnick I definitely different. He's not the arrogant and sarcastic guy I met at the Quarter Quell. The Finnick in front of me has a true sense of humor and is actually being modest. Just as Finnick finishes telling a story about how a sea turtle swam off with his hat, Katniss enters the cafeteria. All conversation stops.

I stare directly at Katniss, who is in shackles and trailed by Gale who must be acting as a guard. "Hey Katniss." Finnick greets Katniss with a smile. "It's nice to see you around and out of the hospital." She doesn't say anything in return.

"Who'd you try and kill this time?" Johanna asks this question in a joking manner. Katniss readjusts the tray in her hands and turns to Johanna. "No one. Yet." She sounds like she's joking in the last part. I hope she is. "Whoa! I was joking." Johanna throws her hands up in defense. Sadly she had food on her spoon, which she was still holding. The food flies off her spoon and hits Finnick in the back of the head.

Finnick gasps in fake surprise. "Johanna! Why?" He cries out in displeasure. "Oh man up Odair," Johanna snaps. I see Katniss crack a smile. Maybe she is getting better. "Well aren't you going to sit?" Johanna asks. Katniss shrugs. "I can't sit here without your permission."

Johanna laughs and points to the seat. "Of course you can. We had connecting cells in the Capitol. We can recognize each other's screams." Annie throws her hands over her ears and mumbles things incoherently, but I don't pay attention.

Katniss' screams. They haunt me every single night. And they won't leave until Katniss is safe with me. After our little-ahem-scene, we attracted the attention of everyone next to us. Katniss sits down and pretends to eat, just like everyone else. After a few minutes of silence, Finnick and Annie leave. Now it's just me, Adela, Katniss, Gale and Johanna.

"You should eat Catnip." Gale looks at Katniss who is just pushing her food around. "I'm not hungry." Gale frowns. He shakes his head and stares at Katniss a little too long. "How've you been Katniss?" I blurt out the words before I can think. Her eyes snap over to me and stares at me. After a while, it starts to get a little awkward.

"Actually never mind. Forget I said anything." I mentally curse myself. I shouldn't have said anything! I don't know how her condition has changed!

Katniss tightens her fists. Gale tries to calm her down, but it's not working. To her, it's as if he doesn't even exist. "So Peeta, how's training going?" Adela's voice makes Katniss' eyes go from me to her.

"It's fine. How are you? Anything new going on?" I ask looking to Adela who is grinning. "Yeah. They're so in need for doctors that they're giving everyone training. At least to the people that have medical experience." I grin and pull her into a big hug.

"That's great!" She laughs and wraps her arms around my waist. "I know! I'm so excited!" She releases me soon after. "I have to go. See you later Peeta!" She skips out of the room. Now I can believe that she's eight. In District Eight she seemed too mature to be eight, but now….she's happier and more childlike.

"How old is she?" Johanna stares at me. I look up and see Katniss watching me curiously. "Eight." Johanna nods and goes back to eating her food. I watch as Katniss whispers something to Gale, who nods.

They both stand up and walk out of the cafeteria. I'm guessing she's going back to the hospital. Should I follow? "No. You shouldn't follow. You already confused her. I don't think she wants to be confused anymore."

"Did I say that out loud?" Johanna nods her head. I sigh and stand up. "I'll see you at training tomorrow." Johanna nods blankly. I walk out of the cafeteria and back to my compartment.

After a few minutes of just staring at the bed above me, I fall asleep. Tonight, my dreams won't be peaceful.

**AN: This chapter was hard to write! I wanted to do Peeta in training, but I couldn't really capture it, so I did it in a quick summary in the beginning of the short chapter. Anyway, sorry if it wasn't good!**

**Answer of the last chapter: Mockinjay Part One, Catching Fire, and The Hunger Games.**

**Question of the Chapter: Throughout the series, which character developed the most?**

**Keira Higurashi9: Isn't everyone! I was so happy when they got married! And who couldn't remember Peeta killing that girl? It's hard to forget that considering his personality in the first book! And we can only hope that the fourth book matches up to the others!**

**Everlarkmakorraforever: I agree! Mockingjay Part One and Catching Fire were the best! And yes! Peeta had to look at himself in a lower light because….Katniss saw a side of him he didn't want her to see. **

**Honeylove90: Haha! Aww thanks! I try really hard to make this Hunger Games fanfiction good! Thanks so much! I loved reading this review! And for your answer: I agree. Mockingjay was the best! I've seen it twice so far! That's how I know I really liked it! Usually, I won't see a movie twice, but this one was totally worth it. Oh and thank you so much for the shout out! I appreciated it!**

**TheFoxfacedGirl: Haha! I'm glad you liked Chapter Eight! And Chapter Nine! I'm glad you like how Peeta is questioning himself. Maybe in the next chapter….or maybe not. **

**Trud: Thanks! Glad you liked it!**

**Lya200: Haha! She has killed more people than Peeta. Sadly she doesn't see that. And you haven't seen Mockingjay yet? You will love it! It was so well done! The director, Francis Lawrence, has once again, done a great job with this movie!**

**Gwen Watkins: I totally agree with you. Mockingjay, then Catching fire, then Hunger Games. **


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games. All rights belong to Suzanne Collins. All of this work is purely fan made and no profit is being made from it. **

Seeing Katniss in training shocks me. Shouldn't they be trying to help her recover and not train her for war? "Why is she training? Shouldn't she be in the hospital-uh-recovering?" Johanna shrugs and nods over to Katniss, who is still accompanied by Gale. I watch as he whispers something to her. In response, she grins.

I have to fight to keep the jealousy down. Shouldn't I be there? "Apparently everyone thinks Katniss is fighting for Snow. So Coin decided that they should have their Mockingjay make a small appearance." I frown a little. So this is all for the rebellion? Does she not care about Katniss' mental health?

I start to walk over to her, but Johanna catches my arm. "Don't Peeta. She still thinks you're trying to kill her." I turn to faced Johanna. Before I can say anything, Johanna continues. "You might make it worse. You want her to get better, so don't talk to her unless she talks to you first." I frown, but nod my head. I want Katniss to heal. I want her to be the same. I want her to be by my side for the rest of my life.

After a few more days of training, my instructor approaches me and Johanna. "You are both ready for the exam. Report to the Block for testing." Johanna and I share a look. "Okay." I stand up and begin to descend down to the Block.

First we have to go through an obstacle course, then take a written test, show our weapon proficiency, and go through a simulation. The first three I did well on. I think. But the simulated test is the only one I'm afraid of. Everyone that's gone through has said it targets weakness.

The only weakness I can think of is Katniss. She's my only weakness. "Soldier Mellark. You may enter the Simulated test." I nod my head and make my way into the Block. If my only weakness-that I can think of- is Katniss, what are they going to show?

I walk through the streets the Capitol. I take out peacekeeper after peacekeeper. Even though they aren't real, I still feel guilty. Just as I'm about to reach the Capitol, I watch as an innocent bystander is forcefully grabbed by a peacekeeper. I start to aim my gun at the peacekeeper, but my squad leader stops me. He nods toward the Capitol mansion. I shake my head and take aim again. By this time, the young girl is on the ground and the peacekeeper has his gun trained on her.

I'm about to fire, when I freeze. My other weakness. It's not just Katniss. It's that I need to protect the innocent bystanders. Going back to the hospital and convincing them to not completely blow up the nut. I have to protect the innocent.

I lower my gun and walk toward the mansion. I hear a scream and the fire of the gun. I wince slightly and the guilt begins. _You could've saved her. You could've shot the peacekeeper and protected her. She died because you didn't go back to save her. _I try and ignore the voice, but I can't help feel that it's right. I'm a heartless person. What if that was Adela? Or Katniss? I couldn't just let them die. Even if it compromised the whole mission, I could never find it in myself to leave them behind. Even under orders, I can't leave them behind. They are the only people that are important to me.

After the simulation there is complete silence. It's almost unnerving. It feels like something will come out and attack me. Soon enough, everything around me disappears and a voice comes over the loudspeaker. "You may know exit the Block." I make a few turns and find a large door that must be the exit.

My hand is stamped with the number 451. And I'm told to report to Command.

* * *

><p>I walk into Command and see two familiar people. Gale and Finnick. "Ah Soldier Mellark. 451 I believe?" I nod my head. Boggs nods over to where everyone else is sitting. I walk over to Finnick and Gale as calmly as I can, but a million questions are running through my mind. Why is Gale here? Shouldn't he be with Katniss? Did something bad happen?<p>

"Why are you going to the Capitol? Shouldn't you be with Katniss?" Gale turns to me and shrugs. "Since you're going to the Capitol, they believe Katniss will get better. And doesn't need to be followed everywhere." I start to feel a little hopeful. Maybe it's good I'm going. Katniss has the possibility to get better.

Plutarch pulls up a map and begins to explain the layout of the Capitol. He goes on about which streets are safe and which ones aren't. He presses a button and a bunch of little blinking dots come up. Pods, but I see something different.

Tributes in the arena. Waiting to be killed by the Gamemakers. Every single street the 'tributes' are on are controlled by the Gamemakers.

I start to walk toward the holograph, Finnick right beside me. He must see what I see. The arena. "Ladies and Gentlemen." His whispers while stroking a small red dot. "Let the Seventy-sixth Hunger Games begin." I try and whisper mine too, but I can't. For some reason, I can't whisper. "Are you-" Boggs begins, but I cut him off. "I'm fine. Just getting a little too eager to go into the Capitol," I lie. He looks unconvinced, but he nods anyway.

Plutarch begins his presentation again, but I lose focus on it. Is this just another arena? More people will get out, but how many will die in the process? How many people have to die for us to reach out goal?

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I'm so so sorry about the shortness of this chapter. I had really bad writers block and couldn't think of a way to write this chapter. Three times I had to write it and erase it. This is my fourth time and I'm still not sure about it. So sorry if it was bad. Anyway, thank you for all the reviews, follows, and favorites!<strong>

**Answer of the last chapter: I don't know who changed the most. Probably Peeta. Or maybe Katniss. I don't know, but it was one of them.**

**Question of the Chapter: If you could change one thing from the Mockingjay book, what would it be? And I feel like I should continue this after the Epilogue. Maybe have Katniss recount what happened in the Capitol? Should I? **

**Magicpony69: Haha! Thanks! I'm glad you like it!**

**IDon'tKnowAName: Glad you like it! I hope the update was good!**

**Mockingjay47: I'm really glad you like this story!**

** .melark.2.0: Haha! I'm glad this is like reading the book! I'm glad I could capture his thoughts! I feel like he's a little easier to write rather than Katniss. Even though there has been three books in her P.O.V, it's still hard to capture.**

**Keira Higurashi: I'm glad you liked it! I wanted more to go on in the Cafeteria, but with Peeta, I wasn't sure how I wanted to go with it. So I had to tone it down. **

**Lya200: I'm glad you liked it! Haha! I had to make the food go on Finnick. There had to be a little comedy. Maybe you're right. Prim did change a lot… And as for Adela…well, I make no promises as to what I will do…**

**Everlarkmakorraforever: I guess the chapter was a little sad. And I also feel bad for Peeta….he's holding onto hope though!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games. All rights belong to Suzanne Collins. All of this work is purely fan made and no profit is being made from it. **

I'm sent off to the Capitol three days after I find out I was put on the Start Squad. I don't know how I feel. All my emotions are blurring together, forming one large ball of emotion. I was able to say a quick goodbye to Adela and Prim. I wanted to say goodbye to Katniss, but I was refused. The doctors said it would be bad for her health. Of course I agreed to not see her when she was awake, but after the doctors left and she was asleep, I snuck in and gave her a quick kiss goodbye.

It takes us three days to get close to the Capitol. After entering a tunnel that leads to the Capitol, we have to get off the train and make the rest of the way on foot. It was tiring, but according to every soldier, it was worth it. That's all they want to do. Enter the Capitol and bring Snow to justice. Then it's down to me to kill him. Honestly, I'm starting to have second thoughts. Even after everything he's done, I don't think he's the one that must be killed. Although, after thinking about what happened to Katniss, it fills me with anger and I want to kill him.

Another three days pass by and nothing has happened. It's honestly starting to get a little boring. Even Cressida is running out of ideas. She used to have us shoot at the rainbow windows, but after a while it can get boring and 'boring is something we can't afford', at least according to her. So they have us shoot at a pod, but they make it look like it was an accident. Unfortunately, the pod didn't release what we expected. Instead of mutts, darts were released and one killed Leeg 2 before she could be saved. It was devastating for her sister. She didn't talk to anyone for the rest of the day.

The next day, a new soldier joined the Star Squad. Katniss walks to the Star Squad with a gun over her shoulder and bow and arrows also over her shoulder. I almost immediately become worried. I made a deal that Katniss would stay in District Thirteen, but Coin sent her out here anyway.

Boggs disappears to make a call and that leaves all of here looking anywhere, except at Katniss. I catch her sitting down far away from everyone. She just stares at a wall, thinking. Soon after, Gale joins her. I'm tempted to join them, but I can't. It wouldn't be good. Right?

I watch as they speak to each other in low voices. I only catch a few words, but even they are hard to understand. A few minutes later, Boggs appears, looking frustrated. "Peeta? Can I talk to you?" I nod my head. He motions for me to walk with him. "You know why Katniss is here, right?" I shake my head. I just assumed it was to fight. "Coin wants her to kill you. You've done your job and she doesn't need you anymore. The only thing you could do now is die. And if you do that, you become a martyr. You give the rebels something to fight for." I frown. Coin wants Katniss to kill me? Just to whip the rebels up more.

I guess she knows that I couldn't fight back. I would just let Katniss kill me. "Alright Soldier. Go back to camp." I nod my head and slowly walk back to camp thinking about what would happen if I died. Katniss would most likely marry Gale and she would be happy. Happier than she ever was with me. Maybe it would be better for me to die. Then Katniss would be happy. Right?

When I get back to camp, I hear them talking about having two people guarding Katniss around the clock. I feel a little bad for her. She's almost like a caged animal. "Are you going to have me watch?" I ask Jackson. She looks at me skeptically. "I don't think you could kill her if it came down to it." I couldn't. I definitely couldn't, but…it would put her out of her confusion. It would take her out of this world of pain. But then I would be left alone. Without anyone in the world. Katniss gave me a reason to live, but now Adela is in my life. Does she also give me a reason to live?

"I-I couldn't, but if it came down to it, I would. I would because Katniss wouldn't have to suffer through the pain anymore. It would kill me and the guilt would haunt me forever, but Katniss wouldn't-" Jackson doesn't let me continue.

"I get it soldier. A simple explanation would've sufficed. I will put you on with me. Twelve to four." I nod my head and look to the ground. I can't believe I agreed to this. Why would I agree to kill the person I love? Katniss wouldn't agree. I know she wouldn't.

Everyone is tense throughout the entire dinner. Is it because of what I said? I hope not. I didn't want anyone, but Jackson, to hear me say that. If they heard me, Katniss would've too. Then she would think she's right. That I always wanted to kill her.

At midnight, I nervously take my post. I'm starting to regret this. I shouldn't have agreed to guard Katniss. I couldn't kill her. Ever. I turn around and see Katniss wide awake. She's sitting up and tying knots. I recognize it as the one Finnick would use. "You're exhausted, aren't you?" Katniss' voice makes me jump. "Not really."

"I mean, it seems like you're trying to decide whether or not to kill me." I shake my head. Not true. I have never wanted to kill you. "No. I always thought of you-" _as a lover. _"-as an ally." Katniss is silent for a minute.

"Friend, lover, baker, tribute, victor, enemy, mutt, neighbor, fiancée, and ally. Let's add that to the list of words of what I know about you. The only problem; I can't tell what's real or what's fake." There are sounds of people shifting. I'm betting they never were asleep.

"Ask then Katniss. That's what Annie does." Katniss frowns and looks at Finnick skeptically. "Ask? Who? There are only so many people I trust here. And I can tell you, that you're not one of them." I see a grin start to spread across his face. "So? We're in your squad. You may not know us well, but we know you. We'll help you." Katniss' frown deepens, but she doesn't say anything else.

After a long silence, Katniss speaks up. "Your favorite color is….orange. Not the bright kind, but more of a sunset." I nod my head and smile. "Right. And your favorite color is green." A ghost of a smile appears on Katniss' face. I keep my mouth shut. I should say more. I _have _to say more, but I need to know when to hold my tongue and this is one of those times.

The next day, Cressida has us shoot more propos. Nothing important, but I guess it gives them something to air. When Gale, Finnick and I return, Katniss is sitting in a group of armed soldiers. They're playing a game called 'real or not real.' This should help her. Definitely. And I know that most confusion will be around me, but I'm willing to help her. No matter how long it takes. I will help her.

**AN: Once again, thank you to all my reviewers and people that favorited/followed. **

**Lya200: Yeah. I couldn't make Katniss his only weakness. That just didn't seem right to do. And I have to agree with you I wouldn't have Prim die. **

**Everlarkmakorraforever: Maybe! If he was saved earlier, his hijacking wouldn't be as bad! I think he would still be hijacked, but not as bad. **

**Keira Higurashai9: Aww! Thank you for saying that! I appreciate it so much! And yes! I was so upset when they died. It's just like, 'why!? Why do you kill them!?'**

**TheFoxFacedGirl: I would've loved it if the epilogue was longer! That would've made the story so much better. **

**Glee Glue Rock 1251: Haha! Thank you.**

** .Uchiha: Haha! Yes, Katniss isn't as aggressive as Peeta. At least not in District 13. But now they're in the Capitol, so….who knows what I will do. **

**Question of the Chapter: How would the story be different if Peeta was reaped for the 75th Hunger Games and Haymitch took his place?**

**Answer of the last chapter: I probably wouldn't kill Prim. I mean she was so young and didn't deserve to die. **


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games. All rights belong to Suzanne Collins. No profit is being made from this. All work is purely fan made.**

"Most people from District Twelve were killed in a fire." It's supposed to be a question, but it sounds more like a statement. Like she knows the answer already. She probably does. President Snow probably showed her the video to break her. "Real." Jackson answers. "It was my fault." Gale shakes his head and sits down next to her. "Not real."

Katniss' eyebrows furrow, but she nods her head. After a little while she begins to ask more unimportant questions. The stores of District Twelve and what school was like. Sometimes she asks about the woods, but only Gale can answer those questions. After all, he is her best friend and hunting partner. But most of the time, her questions are directed toward me. And I always answer them. Even when I have to go into detail, breaking everything down for her.

I can't lose my temper with her. Not that I ever have. I don't think I ever could, but helping her memory is hard. Because even with the small things, I have to explain it in detail. But I keep in mind that it will all be worth it. Completely and utterly worth it when she gets better. She and I may not be in the same state as we were in the first and second games, but she'll be better. A lot better than she is now.

The next day, we're required to shoot a propo. According to Plutarch, we are "the most uninspiring bunch he has ever met. Paper is more inspiring than us." I guess he has a point. But we don't get many opportunities to fight. We can only shoot at windows and certain pods. The people on the front line have all the action. Not that I'm complaining. I couldn't watch all those people die knowing they are fighting because of something I caused.

Cressida does provide special effects to make it look like we're in battle. But it's obvious she doesn't like how it's turning out. So a block has been reserved for us to shoot some things. Most people get windows, except for Gale. They offered him an option to shoot at a pod. He agreed immediately. Boggs does give Katniss the bow he confiscated, but he doesn't give her any arrows. Well arrows that could blow up or start a fire.

I can tell by Katniss's expression, she doesn't care. "I don't think it's fair with those types anyway." Besides, she doesn't seem focused on anything really. Unless you count Pollux. She's been watching him for the past twenty minutes. She doesn't say anything. She just stares at him. Like he's familiar to her or something.

"You're an avox, aren't you?" Pollux nods his head and shifts uncomfortably. "How can you tell Catnip?" Gale asks, walking up behind Katniss. She shrugs. "By the way he swallows. Darius and Lavinia were there. Lavinia was the girl we saw in the woods. The one that was captured." At first Gale is confused, but seconds later realization dawns on his face. Katniss knew an avox? I could see Darius. He was from District Twelve, but another? What else hasn't she told me?

"What happened Katniss?" Gale asks in a voice I thought I would never hear. Soft and kind. "They electrocuted the girl. She was actually lucky. She died instantly, so she didn't endure much else. Darius, well he was tortured immensely. I'd really rather not say what, but it wasn't pretty. Real or not real?" Nobody can form any words. Everyone is still in shock from the revelation. Katniss turns angry and demands an answer.

"Real. I believe." Boggs answers a little uncomfortably. Katniss smiles bitterly. She mutters something under her breath and walks away. Gale jogs after her, talking quietly. I wonder what. Soon after Katniss very short-yet very horrific to imagine-story, we're sent out to film a better propo. We all shoot at random, unnecessary things.

They lead us to the sectioned off block and set off a couple smoke bombs and add the sound effect of gun fire. Not realistic, but enough to get people motivated. "Action!" Cressida calls. Everyone in the Star Squad shoots at windows, except for Gale. When we get to a certain point, Gale finds the pod he's supposed to fire at. When he does, we all find cover, ready for the explosion.

Boggs is about to order us forward, when Cressida stops him, saying she wants close ups. The whole thing is actually really entertaining. The star squad consists of people that are appealing to the camera or very well known, but it's not home to the best actors. Almost everyone is terrible at pretending to be taking cover. I'm trying to be nice, but when you see them trying to act it out twenty times, it can start to get a little hysterical.

Boggs tries not to laugh at our ongoing jokes about how bad of an actor Mitchel is, but one does escape him. "Okay! Okay! Pull it together Squad 451." He takes out the holo and looks down at it, taking a step backwards. Unfortunately, there was an unmarked pod that explodes, causing everything to evolve into chaos.

**AN: I'm so sorry for the long wait and shortness of this chapter. I wasn't really sure how to write it and I didn't want to update, _just_ to update. I want to make my chapters good and something people want to read. Anyway, thank you to all my reviewers, favorites and follows!**

**Lya200: I know! I can't wait to see the Real or not real part in the movies. And you're probably right. Haymitch definitely would've allied with more people than Katniss and Peeta did originally. **

**Icearrow2099: I'm glad you like the story! Peeta is definitely more helpful than Katniss was originally. And it's true, she does have a bigger support network. But I wasn't sure I wanted to go down the route. So I took into account Johanna hitting her in the head and having a concussion. So the concussion adds to the confusion. **

**Glee Clue Rock 1251: Glad you liked the chapter!**

**OSnapitsAli: I agree with that also. She realized how deep her love for Peeta truly is. And glad you liked the last chapter! **

**Honeylove90: I can see that happening. He definitely would've freaked out and tried his best to bring Katniss home. Katniss definitely is blunt in this story, isn't she? **

**Nik1627: Yes! The agonizing wait for them to talk. Finally they are getting along. Well starting to anyway. And probably! Maybe he would've started something. Who knows?**

**Karrbearr: Here it is! Sorry about the wait!**

**Question of the Chapter: In the Mockingjay movie, Castor and Pollux used sign language. What did they say? (Francis Lawrence did mention it in an interview)**

**Answer of the last chapter: I don't know. Maybe they would've allied with more people. But she definitely would've been more determined to get out of the arena. **


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games. All rights belong to Suzanne Collins. No profit is being made from this. All work is purely fan made.**

Boggs is blown backwards and lands on the colorful street tiles with a hard thud. Homes and I share a look and jog over to Boggs. I kneel down and see that he's alive, but barely. Just hanging on by a thread. A thread that could be cut at any moment.

"Peeta." Boggs says, holding my arm in a vise like grip. "The holo." I nod my head and run my hands through the blood on the ground. The Holo is his last wish. Does he want it before he dies? I shudder. He's going to die. I don't like the thought. But it's the truth. He is one of many that has died for the cost of the rebellion. A rebellion that is my fault. If I died in the arena or just let Katniss win, this wouldn't happen. She could be healthy and have her memories intact. And these people wouldn't be dying. I killed each and every one of these people. Indirectly, but it's still my fault.

My hands continue to search through Boggs' still warm blood. But the longer it takes to find the Holo, the more nervous I become. Either it was destroyed in the explosion or I'm just not looking in the right spot. But I shouldn't stop. I have to find it.

After two more minutes of searching, my hands find the familiar object. I pull it out of the thick blood and wipe off whatever is on it, on my shirt. I rush back over to Boggs and hand it to him. The blood has dried on my hands. Is this a sign? The expression 'their blood is on my hands' is actually coming true for me. I killed Boggs and now his blood is literally on my hands.

Boggs types in a few commands and holds it out to me. "Unfit for command. Transfer over to Soldier Mellark of Squad 451. Say your name." His voice is hoarse, but it still sounds strong and demanding. "Peeta Mellark?" I say, but it comes out more like a question. If I was in Katniss' position and she was in mine, I bet she would handle it so much better than I am. She wouldn't be having a panic attack or question things.

It encases me in a green light. Almost as if it was scanning me. Maybe it is. "Everyone retreat!" Jackson demands, but her voice is muffled. I can only focus on the green light. I can even hear Finnick shouting something, but it's unintelligible.

Homes and I begin to drag Boggs to safety, while Gale and Jackson are shooting at the ground. Sweeping for mines I think. Each time we move him, Boggs cries out in pain. I wish I could carry him. Make it easier so he wouldn't be in so much pain. But I know with all my equipment, I couldn't. He'll be too heavy.

Out of nowhere, I feel a hand grip my shoulder. It pulls me off of Boggs and down onto the ground. Katniss, who I haven't seen ever since the bomb went off, stands above me. Her usual grey eyes are now black pools that seem to have no end. They have an emotion. But it's not one that I want to see. Anger.

Katniss brings the gun above her head and starts to bring the butt of it down onto my head. I roll out of the way before she can, but I can't help wondering why she doesn't use her bow. She has perfect aim and could kill me in a second. Yet she uses her gun. Is she trying to keep herself from killing me completely?

Katniss tries to hit me again, but Leeg 1 tackles her to the ground. For a few minutes they fight, trying to overpower one another. Eventually, Katniss pushes Leeg 1 off of her and shoots her straight through the heart. I never thought of Katniss killing anyone in cold blood. But she's fueled with tracker jacker venom. But before she can approach me again, Gale grabs her by the waist and drags her toward an open house. He and Jackson must've broke in during all the commotion.

I scramble up from my position and jog back over to Homes who is still struggling to pull Boggs into the house. Homes and I take him into the house, but this time his cries are gone. Mute. He might've died or gone unconscious. The living we drag him into is bright with the colors pink and white. We stop dragging him as soon as we arrive in the middle of the living room. I turn around and see Jackson throwing cuffs onto Katniss. They push her into a room and lock the door.

The front door slams shut and Finnick comes stumbling in, coughing. He can only manage out one word. "Fumes!" As soon as he says that, he begins to throw up in the bright kitchen. Now I'm starting to feel sick to my stomach. Castor and Pollux stuff white towels under all the doors.

I look over and see Boggs' lips moving, but no sound comes out. I walk over and lean down next to his body. He presses the Holo into my hands and starts to speak. But the words are still too quiet for me to hear. I lean closer and I can finally hear his words. "Don't trust them. Don't go back. Kill Katniss. Do what you came to do."

Who can't I trust? My squad members? Coin? All of District 13? And kill Katniss? There is no way I can do that. I may have said that it would take her away from all the confusion she feel, but I couldn't. I could only see the girl I love. The one I saw starving that day in the rain. The one that volunteered for her sister. The one that kissed me that time on the beach. I would only see that Katniss, not this one. If it came down to me and her, I wouldn't fight back. I would let her kill me. Because that's all I can do. Killing her is like killing myself. It would destroy my entire world if she died.

**AN: 99 reviews!? Thank you all so much! This is the first story to ever reach above 90! Wow! You are the best! And 109 follows? and 71 favorites! I cannot thank you guys enough!**

**Glee Glue Club Rock 1251: Thanks! Glad you liked the last chapter!**

**Icearrow2099: They are! Unfortunately, Boggs isn't known to be alive or dead. Right now, he's talking to Peeta! And he is! Peeta's been emotionally stronger, but he's starting to break down! Uh oh! And I'll look at the community and your fanfiction! **

**Everlarkmakorraforever: That's right! I laughed when I found that out!**

**Nik1627: Here it is! But we're seeing Peeta breaking down! Uh oh! Is he starting to fall apart without Katniss!? **

**Lya200: I don't know!? I guess because I didn't explain it! But I don't think Katniss would explain it either. She's….just like that I guess. And you haven't seen the movie!? It's really good! I hope you see it soon!**

**Honeylove90: She is blunt! And I couldn't see anyone else portraying Katniss! And maybe that's going to happen! Or maybe not! Right now, Peeta is the one breaking down! And thanks! I'm not going to give up on this story! I'm going to finish it and I might even add some things about what Katniss endured! **

**Answer of the last chapter: Pollux signed: "She's really pretty." And Castor replied: "I know."**

**Question of the chapter: I don't know if I asked this already, but what was your favorite part of Mockingjay? **


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games. All rights belong to Suzanne Collins. No profit is being made from this. All work is purely fan made.**

We had to leave Boggs behind. As much as it pained me, as a group, we knew we couldn't bring him. It would slow us down. Besides, Boggs seemed like the kind of guy that would want a mission finished. No matter what. Both Leeg 1 and Boggs' deaths hurt me. But when Boggs died, it felt more personal. I knew Boggs better than I did Leeg 1. Boggs was like a friend. A brother. Someone that I could rely on.

When Jackson tried to take the Holo from me earlier, I had to lie about why he gave it to me. I can lie, but I don't want to do it to my squad. We're supposed to be truthful and rely on one another. Of course, I wasn't truthful. But when she asked about Katniss, I wasn't sure what I wanted to say. I don't know why she would be here. Although, Gale did come up with a good reason. _"She's the Mockingjay," He said. "She provides us the kind of distraction we need. If the people, especially President Snow, see her fighting for us, then the Capitol will be distracted." _I never did thank him for helping me then. But I think it was more for Katniss than me.

I turn around and see that Katniss is still unconscious. And still in Gale's arms. Every now and then he casts glances down at her. He cares about her. Truly cares about her. Maybe as much as I do. Or maybe more. He and Katniss have been friends for a very long time. Hunting partners is something you can't ignore. But you can't ignore what Katniss and I have shared together. Both victors and tributes. We were tributes twice.

Walking through the tar like substance is difficult. I don't know if it's my artificial leg or just because it's so deep. Every time you try and move, it tries to restrain you. Sometimes is succeeds with people stumbling forward. I don't know how Gale can hold Katniss and walk through this. But I shouldn't question it. He is helping Katniss after all. Something I wish I could do. I probably could, but if I did, then she would have a freak out and try and kill me. Then we would probably lose any progress that was made in her recovery.

By the time we reach the end of the tar, everyone is exhausted and in need of a break. Especially Gale. He looks especially winded. As a group, we decided to take refuge in an apartment building a little farther away. Finnick said it would be safer because the smell wouldn't be as strong.

The apartment is laid out elegantly. Pink carpeted floors, a stair case that leads to an upstairs and a television that glows softly. There are even a few pieces of furniture that everyone relaxes on. Although, this apartment seems to be tame compared to most other Capitol apartments.

I watch as Gale sits down on a dark purple couch, with Katniss on his lap. Sometimes, I get the feeling he purposely does this just to say that Katniss trusts him more than me. Maybe he is, but I shouldn't judge. If I was in Gale's position, I would try and keep Katniss as close as possible. I would promise that I wouldn't ever let her go again.

Seemingly out of nowhere, the television beeps and flares to life. Almost everyone jumps and puts their hands on their guns. "Relax! It's just a broadcast! Every TV in the Capitol is set up to activate when one comes on." Everyone visibly relaxes and falls into their chair or couch.

I watch as footage of what we were doing appears on television. This continues on until the black tar washes over us, making the cameras go black. A male voice explains what has happened up until the black tar hit. He talks about how the tar killed us and one body was already found, proving that we died. All over our pictures appear, with mine and Katniss' being last.

The broadcast ends as soon as the pictures disappear. "What do we do now?" Finnick asks no one in particular. At first no one speaks. That is until Katniss says the few words that can destroy my entire world. "You have to kill me." I look over and see Katniss sitting on the couch next to Gale, no longer on his lap.

Her words were directed at me. Me. A person that couldn't kill anyone. Not even for self-defense. If I can't save myself, then how does Katniss expect me to kill her? "We don't have to kill you Catnip." Gale says a little worriedly. Katniss turns her gaze on Gale. She stares at him for a long moment.

"Yes, you do. The rebels think I'm already dead, but why not give them proof? Or why don't you just leave me somewhere? Snow could find me. It'd probably be better for all of you anyway." Katniss back with Snow is something I don't want to think about. He'll torture her more and have it on live TV just to break me even more. And it probably would.

Gale looks like he's about to shake his head, but Jackson cuts him off. "As much as I hate you, I wouldn't send you back to the Capitol. I would kill you before that could happen." Katniss shake her head and shifts in her seat a little. The chains rattle when she moves. The sound they make are almost haunting, especially with the sun going down and the only light coming from the TV.

"You won't always be there, so then what? I don't think these three"-She motions to me, Gale, and Finnick-"could kill me. What then?" Jackson is silent for a moment. She reaches inside her pocket and pulls out a familiar deep violet pill. The pill that can kill us in seconds. Before anyone can react, Gale takes it from Jackson's hand and crushes it under his boot. "Not happening. I'm going to make sure you are safe." Katniss scowls at Gale, but doesn't say anything. Either she's given up or is plotting something. Since Katniss doesn't give up that easily, I suspect the latter.

"So," Finnick says, trying to lighten the depressing mood. "Where's the food?"

**AN: I want to thank all my reviewers, favorites and follows! 107 reviews! I cannot believe this! This is my first story to even reach 100 reviews! Thanks so much to those that have been loyal to this story!**

**Lya200: When they attack the Capitol is really interesting. And I don't know what you meant by Peeta not listening to Boggs. I think I do, but I'm not sure. **

**Glee Clue Rock1251: Aww, thanks! I hope you liked this chapter!**

**TheFoxFacedGirl: Thanks! I'm glad you like it! And I agree, those scenes were very powerful and emotional! That's when Katniss truly knew how important Peeta is to her!**

**Leah Jo: Yeah I know it is. But it'll be over soon and I'll get to what Katniss endured probably around the eighteenth chapter. Maybe! I'm not sure yet. **

**Rhapsody Bane: Thanks! It's kind of interesting to write from Peeta's P.O.V! I find it easier than Katniss' P.O.V. I don't know why, but Katniss is a very hard character to capture correctly! And yes I know killing Leeg 1 was a surprise, but hey I had to make it different! That's true! In Tigris' shop is definitely when Peeta starts coming back! I thought it was sweet when Katniss hugged him. **

**Everlarkmakorraforever: I know! That part was upsetting though! How he wasn't really there! And when she told him real, I almost cried! It was so emotional! **

**Nik1627: I know! When she was singing by the river was a really nice part! Haha! So many good parts of Mockingjay that it's hard to choose! And I am not revealing anything!**

**Question of the Chapter: What was the most upsetting death in all the books?**

**Answer of the last chapter: I don't really have a favorite part of Mockingjay. It was all so good that it is hard for me to decide!**


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